[REDACTED] FOR RGA COLOMBIA REGIONAL GOVERNANCE ACTIVITY QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY–MARCH 2021
APRIL 30, 2021 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Management Systems International (MSI), A Tetra Tech Company.
COLOMBIA REGIONAL GOVERNANCE ACTIVITY QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY–MARCH 2021
Management Systems International 200 12th Street, South Arlington, VA 22202 USA
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Contracted under AID-OAA-1-13-00042, Programming Effectively Against Conflict and Extremism (PEACE) IQC, Task Order No. AID-514-TO-15-00015
Colombia Regional Governance Activity
DISCLAIMER
The authors’ views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
CONTENTS
ACRONYMS 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4
NATIONAL CONTEXT 6
KEY ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS 7 COMPONENT 7: COVID-19 PREVENTION, CONTAINMENT, AND RECOVERY AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE MIGRANT POPULATION 7
PROGRESS ASSESSMENT 33
COORDINATION WITH OTHER USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND INTERNATIONAL DONORS 34
ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER 35
TRANSFORMING LIVES 37
ANNEXES 41 ANNEX 1: NATIONAL CONTEXT 41 ANNEX 2: RGA INFOGRAPHICS TO PROMOTE ACCESS TO GOC SOCIAL PROGRAMS 45 ANNEX 3: RESOURCES MOBILIZED THROUGH RGA-SUPPORTED PUBLIC INVESTMENT PROJECTS 48 ANNEX 4: RGA GRANTS AND SUBCONTRACTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2021 49 ANNEX 5: PROGRESS ASSESSMENT 50 ANNEX 6: COORDINATION WITH IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL AID PROGRAMS 54
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ACRONYMS
COMPOS Municipal Council for Social Policy (Consejo Municipal de Política Social)
COP Colombian Peso
CONPES National Council for Economic and Social Policy (Consejo Nacional de Política Económica y Social)
COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019
CSO Civil Society Organization
DAPRE Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (Departamento Administrativo de Presidencia de la República)
DNP National Planning Department (Departamento Nacional de Planeación)
ELN National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional)
FARC-EP Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia)
FOME Fund to Mitigate Emergencies (Fondo de Mitigación de Emergencias)
FONPET Territorial Pension Savings Fund (Fondo de Ahorro Pensional Territorial)
FY Fiscal Year
GBV Gender-Based Violence
GIFMM Interagency Group on Mixed Migratory Flows (Grupo Interagencial sobre Flujos Migratorios Mixtos)
GoC Government of Colombia
HCC Let’s Exercise Citizen Control (Hagamos Control Ciudadano)
LGBTQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning or Queer
LOP Life of Project
PDM Municipal Development Plan (Plan de Desarrollo Municipal)
PMP Performance Management Plan
PNV National Vaccination Plan (Plan Nacional de Vacunación)
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PRASS Testing, Tracing, and Sustainable and Selective Isolation (Pruebas, Rastreo y Aislamiento Selectivo Sostenible)
RGA Regional Governance Activity
SGP System of National Transfers (Sistema General de Participaciones)
SGR General System of Royalties (Sistema General de Regalías)
SISBEN Identification System for Potential Beneficiaries of Social Programs (Sistema de Identificación de Potenciales Beneficiarios de Programas Sociales)
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
USAID United States Agency for International Development
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Governance Activity (RGA) began on June 22, 2015, under Task Order No. AID-514-TO-15-00015, with an initial period of performance of four and one-half years. Its original objective was to improve governance in 40 Colombian municipalities affected by the nation’s armed conflict through five program components: decentralization, public financial management, tertiary roads, citizen participation, and electoral reform. On April 23, 2019, RGA was awarded a six-month cost extension to June 21, 2020. The amendment added a sixth component and adjusted RGA’s territorial focus to concentrate on 10 subnational governments (SNGs) in three border departments—Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander—to help them cope with the challenges created by the influx of Venezuelan migrants and Colombian returnees in host communities.1 On June 17, 2020, the program was awarded a second cost extension to June 21, 2021. This amendment added a seventh program component, shifting RGA’s focus to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention, containment, and recovery, and to service provision improvements for the migrant population. The amendment also broadened the project’s geographic focus to implement activities in 14 target municipalities in six departments affected by the Venezuelan migrant crisis.2 In December 2020, RGA reached an agreement with USAID to expand its scope of work to include activities in Bogotá to strengthen targeted capacities in the Bogotá government to address and manage the Venezuelan migrant crisis.
This quarterly report covers RGA activities between January and March 2021, corresponding to the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2021. The document provides an overview of the national context; information about RGA progress, accomplishments, and impacts; a summary of RGA coordination with USAID implementing partners and international donors; progress on program indicators; and a summary of activities scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 2021. The quarterly report also includes a success story, “Teachers Embrace Remote Education,” and six annexes that provide detailed information on selected program elements. Highlights this quarter include:
• Support to SNGs to draft planning and financial instruments: RGA provided technical assistance to six target municipalities to mobilize $6.7 million through 16 public investment projects for health, education, and economic recovery that benefited more than 553,500 people, of which more than 8,000 are migrants. Additionally, the program assisted 14 public contractual procedures within the education, health, and transportation sectors funded by the System of National Transfers (SGP),3 which will enable citizens to receive the goods and services they need quicker and in a timelier manner. Through its work, the program also supported 12 municipal administrations to conduct public accountability events on SNGs’ response and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Support to SNGs to improve local health responses: RGA provided support to the Government of Colombia (GoC) in the local implementation of the COVID-19 National Vaccination Plan (PNV) by
1 The 10 SNGs are Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca); Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia (La Guajira); and Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). 2 The 14 municipalities are Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca); Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia (La Guajira); and Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander); and new target áreas Cartagena (Bolívar); Ciénaga and Santa Marta (Magdalena); and Soledad (Atlántico). 3 The System of National Transfers is the principal channel for fiscal transfers from national to departmental and municipal public accounts.
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assisting its target municipalities in identifying rollout bottlenecks, drafting local vaccination plans, and hosting training sessions to disseminate PNV guidelines.4 To increase its outreach, the program developed one PNV guide and two road maps with information for SNGs and the general public. RGA also awarded two subcontracts aimed at hiring expert liaisons who are supporting target municipalities in the implementation of the GoC’s testing, tracing, and sustainable and selective isolation (PRASS) strategy.5
• Support to increase interinstitutional coordination: The program promoted a coordinated pandemic response by participating in and assisting the development of interinstitutional coordination scenarios such as Central Command Units (PMUs) and COVID-19 situation rooms, in which RGA’s epidemiological surveillance tools were used to monitor public health events. Highlights during this quarter include RGA’s participation in the epidemiological surveillance committees in Maicao, Arauca, Arauquita, Los Patios and Puerto Santander, and the assistance provided in COVID-19 situation rooms in Soledad, Santa Marta and Ciénaga.
• Support to SNGs in improving access to the health system: RGA continued increasing vulnerable populations’ access to the Colombian health system and began transferring its enrollment methodologies, instruments, and best practices to the Ministry of Health and USAID’s Local Health System Sustainability Program to promote replication by subnational institutions.
• Support to SNGs to promote economic reactivation at the local level: RGA partnered with GoC institutions, regional commissions for competitiveness, chambers of commerce, and departmental and municipal governments to promote policy dialogues aimed at fostering local economic reactivation. For example, in Norte de Santander, RGA hosted an event to encourage the adoption of Colombia’s public acquisitions law, which promotes the participation of small-scale producers in the public acquisition of local goods. The program is replicating similar policy dialogues in Riohacha, Cartagena, Arauca, and Santa Marta. RGA also fostered the municipal adoption of GoC incentives for economic reactivation. The program also developed a cross-cutting strategy to assist municipalities in carrying out participatory processes for implementing new General System of Royalties (SGR) regulations.6
• Support to education service provision: The program promoted students’ safe return to the classroom in 2021 by supporting public officials and school communities in biosecurity protocol design and assisting the prioritization of education investments to better respond to the specific needs of public schools during the pandemic. RGA also coordinated efforts with the private and public sectors to train 767 teachers in online and remote education methodologies, enabling them to strengthen education service provision during the pandemic.
• Support to SNGs and civil society to increase government transparency and promote youth and migrant inclusion: RGA worked with civil society organizations (CSOs), local administrations, journalists, and citizen oversight groups to improve public accountability and catalyze
4 The PNV was adopted officially on January 29, through Decree 109 of 2021. The plan seeks to reach herd immunity by inoculating 70 percent of Colombia’s population and comprises two strategic phases divided in five rollout stages. 5 The PRASS strategy is a national government initiative that seeks to trace and isolate COVID-19 carriers to contain the spread of the virus by increasing local testing capacities and rapid case identification. 6 The SGR is the national account from which municipal and departmental governments can request funds to finance public works projects. The funds in this account are generated through taxes on exploitation industries in Colombia (for example, oil and mining). At the end of 2020, the GoC issued new regulations for SGR transfers, which establish that municipalities may approve SGR funding on their own if the projects to be funded have been prioritized through participatory processes with civil society and are included in a specific chapter of PDMs.
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government openness in 12 target municipalities.7 During this quarter, the program trained 276 citizens and 68 public officials in USAID’s Let’s Exercise Citizen Control (HCC) methodology and hosted a forum in which participants exchanged ideas about successful citizen oversight experiences implemented with RGA’s support. In parallel, the program assisted local administrations in developing 12 public accountability events focused on gender and the migrant population. It also promoted participatory processes and scenarios in which citizens can advocate for project prioritization within Municipal Development Plans (PDMs). Continuing its work from last quarter, the program worked closely with seven communication groups to promote transparency and public accountability.8 It also supported 11 youth CSOs to promote youth engagement and improved service provision,9 and it continued to work with [redacted] in consolidating student and community groups who are combating stigmatization and xenophobia.
• Strengthening targeted capacities in the Bogotá government to address and manage the Venezuelan migrant crisis: RGA assisted the Bogotá Social Inclusion Secretariat in identifying financial, coordination, and operation strategies to improve service provision for the migrant population. Additionally, RGA provided support to the Women’s Secretariat to mainstream gender approaches to address migration and mobilize migrant women’s CSOs to contribute to eliminating stereotypes affecting women at the community level. RGA also supported the development of a coexistence strategy to change discriminatory and xenophobic behaviors and build capacity in the Bogotá government to address security and justice challenges associated with the migrant crisis.
• Gender and vulnerable populations strategy: RGA focused heavily on preventing and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) by working with municipal administrations and civil society. It built capacity in municipal administrations to mainstream gender approaches, improve interinstitutional coordination in GBV service provision, and increase funding for gender issues through project formulation. Through this work, the program helped mobilize $280,000 in public resources through three public investment projects in Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Ciénaga. Furthermore, it developed skills in women and girls; youth; migrants; and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer (LGBTQ) community to strengthen their advocacy efforts and increase their participation in municipal councils for social policy (COMPOS’s).10
NATIONAL CONTEXT
During this quarter, the GoC launched the National Vaccination Plan (PNV), intended to immunize 35 million citizens by the end of 2021. Since the plan’s launch, the Ministry of Health vowed to roll out 100,000 daily doses of vaccine, the minimum target required to achieve herd immunity. However, as of March 31, approximately 2.2 million doses had been administered over the course of 43 days. The problem in reaching the expected pace is not only one of supply. Issues in rolling out vaccine allocation regulations, standardizing data collection instruments, and tracing eligible vaccine recipients have limited the ability of
7 These municipalities are Maicao, Riohacha and Uribia (La Guajira); Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca); Cúcuta, Los Patios, Villa del Rosario, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander); and Cartagena (Bolívar) and Santa Marta (Magdalena). 8 Three initiatives in Norte de Santander, two in Arauca, one in Cartagena, and one in La Guajira. 9 Seven of the CSOs are in Norte de Santander, two in La Guajira, and two in Arauca. 10 A COMPOS brings local public institutions and civil society together to establish, coordinate, and evaluate social policies to improve quality of and access to public services.
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the GoC and local health care providers to speed up vaccine distribution.11 Although the country has not yet met the expected daily immunization pace, the GoC is moving forward to implement the second and third PNV phases, expecting to ramp up vaccination efforts and thus stave off another contagion wave.
In this context, the GoC announced temporary legislation for the protection of Venezuelan migrants.12 This legislation grants temporary protective status and allows migrants to stay in Colombia for up to 10 years, obtain legal work permits, and access basic goods and services, including COVID-19 vaccines. The international community praised the regulation, but it produced mixed reactions among the Colombian population. According to a survey conducted by the private firm INVAMER, 66 percent of Colombians do not support the proposal.13 Additionally, negative views about migrants and the potential effects of their regularization were exacerbated after the Bogotá administration criticized the legislation and linked security issues and delinquency to the presence of migrants in the city.14
In addition, the country is seeing a new surge in mass killings and violent actions, especially in border municipalities, where illegal armed groups clash for control over illicit markets. The Colombian Institute for Development and Peace documented at least 23 massacres between January and March of 2021that claimed the lives of 84 people. This situation has led departmental and local authorities to denounce the escalation of violence and to demand immediate actions by the GoC and national armed forces to protect the civilian population. The security crisis grew more acute in Arauca, where clashes between Venezuelan Armed Forces and an illegal armed group (presumably dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia [FARC-EP]) in the Venezuelan state of Apure led approximately 5,000 migrants to cross the border and seek refuge in the municipality of Arauquita.
For more information, see Annex 1: National Context.
KEY ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS
COMPONENT 7: COVID-19 PREVENTION, CONTAINMENT, AND RECOVERY AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE MIGRANT POPULATION
RGA worked with the GoC, SNGs, and civil society this quarter to strengthen their pandemic responses and the need to address the Venezuelan migrant crisis. To do so, the program supported the implementation of the PNV and collaborated with local governments to increase health care enrollment for migrants. Furthermore, it fostered communication strategies within youth and community groups to address xenophobia and promote COVID-19 prevention guidelines in all target municipalities. It also developed skills in civil society to strengthen citizen advocacy and participation with a gender approach in
11 Juan Esteban Lewin, “Con la vacunación, el Gobierno va a enfrentar como nadie las barreras que son expresión de la desigualdad,” La Silla Vacía, January 31, 2021, https://lasillavacia. com/vacunacion-gobierno-va-enfrentar-como-nadie-las-barreras- son-expresion-desigualdad-79966. 12 The legislation creates a single registry of Venezuelan migrants, extends the term of the Special Permit of Permanence (PEP) from two to 10 years, and allows undocumented migrants who entered Colombia without permission before January 31, 2021, to apply for legalization. For more information, see https://www. migracioncolombia. gov. co/infografias/estatuto-temporal-de- proteccion. 13 Luisa Mercado, “Quiénes serán los primeros en tener estatuto de protección a migrantes,” El Tiempo, March 9, 2021, https://www. eltiempo. com/politica/gobierno/quienes-seran-los-primeros-en-tener-estatuto-de-proteccion-a-migrantes- venezolanos-572220. 14 Paula Doria, “En su discurso xenófobo López se queda sin amigos y sin cifras que la respalden,” La Silla Vacía, March 12, 2021, https://lasillavacia. com/su-discurso-xenofobo-lopez-se-queda-sin-amigos-y-sin-cifras-respalden-80555.
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public spaces to increase government transparency and prioritize the needs of vulnerable populations. RGA also focused on improving coordination, strengthening institutional capacity, promoting migrant women’s inclusion, fostering coexistence, and promoting migrant inclusion in Bogota’s economic reactivation strategy. The following are highlights from this execution until March 2021.15
EXPECTED RESULT 1: INCREASED COORDINATION BETWEEN ALL THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY BETWEEN SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, THE BORDER MANAGEMENT UNIT, AND THE NATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT UNIT, TO SUPPORT AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT COVID-19 RESPONSE
MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF PANDEMIC REGULATIONS RGA continued supporting the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (DAPRE) in the implementation of the ESCOVID-19 instrument. National public institutions are responsible for reporting on the performance of key pandemic measures within their scopes of work through this instrument. Data collected through the instrument allows DAPRE to make informed decisions and prioritize actions to improve the implementation and performance of pandemic regulations. As a result of RGA’s assistance, the GoC was able to optimize the measurement of target indicators and improve data reporting procedures. For instance, by February 2021, 108 indicators were being measured effectively compared with 80 reported in October 2020. Likewise, the number of indicators with pending reporting responsibilities went from 28 to 3 in the same period.16 Furthermore, RGA assisted DAPRE in improving monitoring procedures for 50 additional indicators in which reporting was not feasible or had not been implemented properly.17 RGA also made progress in incorporating new decrees and indicators arising from the second COVID-19 emergency declaration,18 and conducted analyses of ESCOVID-19 indicators for three public policy areas: health care, productive system, and households.19 Because of internal changes in DAPRE’s direction and as part of RGA’s efforts to ensure the instrument’s sustainability, RGA presented and transferred the ESCOVID-19 tool and the progress made in its implementation to DAPRE’s new director. As a result, DAPRE requested an extension of this assistance to May 2021, which will allow the program to consolidate the new set of indicators and continue supporting the GoC in improving its COVID-19 response. Furthermore, RGA-supported analyses and ESCOVID-19 indicators will provide valuable inputs for the annual report filed by the GoC before the Colombian Congress to report on progress made within the national development plan and the COVID-19 response.
MAPPING GOC GUIDELINES RGA continued strengthening coordination between the GoC and SNGs by mapping and disseminating national regulations implemented to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of March, the program has compiled 1,115 legal dispositions and rolled out eight manuals to promote their application at the subnational level. This quarter, RGA developed instruments such as road maps to disseminate information on key regulations issued by the GoC, including the PNV,
15 RGA activities to improve service provision for women and vulnerable populations are detailed in the Gender and Vulnerable Populations Strategy section. 16 Data gathered by RGA from the ESCOVID-19 database. 17 Based on RGA’s assistance, DAPRE identified bottlenecks in measuring 24 of the 50 indicators identified. For instance, some of the information required rests in local institutions and cannot be transferred to the national level. Therefore, these indicators will require additional actions by the GoC to enable reporting and measuring procedures. 18 Within the scope of Decree 637 of 2020, adopted by the GoC on May 6, 2020, to declare a state of economic, social, and environmental emergency. 19 Within the scope of CONPES 3999 of 2020, adopted on August 5, 2020, to monitor and improve GoC’s initial COVID-19 response action plan.
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the temporary legislation for the protection of Venezuelan migrants, and the new tourism law.20 Moreover, to improve understanding and application of these regulations, RGA led technical sessions on topics of particular interest for municipal administrations, including the PNV, sector-specific biosecurity protocols, and economic reactivation.21 Acknowledging that these manuals can become important instruments in disseminating and monitoring regulations, RGA worked closely with DAPRE and the National Planning Department (DNP) to disseminate its manuals and ensure their availability on government websites and information portals. The program is currently exploring similar partnerships with a range of other institutions, including the Colombian Federation for Municipalities.
SUPPORTING PNV IMPLEMENTATION After the PNV rollout, RGA assessed the needs of SNGs and carried out targeted actions to enhance PNV implementation at the local level. Specifically, the program’s approach was to concurrently assist municipal administrations in drafting vaccination plans, host training sessions for local health providers, and disseminate vaccination guidelines and road maps. In Norte de Santander and La Guajira, the program hosted eight sessions, in which participants from all municipalities in each department received training on (1) extended immunization programs and vaccination progress;22 (2) PNV technical and operational guidelines; (3) technical aspects of extended immunization programs, open vial policies, and cold chain requirements for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID- 19 vaccine; and (4) epidemiological surveillance.
In Arauca, RGA trained municipal staffers in charge of the vaccination program in six hospitals on on-site and off-site vaccination and open vial policies. In Ciénaga, the program supported the municipality in drafting the local COVID-19 vaccination plan, disseminating vaccination road maps with health care providers, and developing a checklist to assess the capacity of health providers to deliver efficient vaccination campaigns. In Santa Marta, RGA reviewed COVID-19 action plans and provided support to establish a committee for the implementation of vaccination technical guidelines. In Cartagena, RGA participated in interinstitutional spaces by providing inputs and data for monitoring PNV progress.
RGA also rolled out a practical guide on COVID-19 vaccinations and two road maps—one for health care providers, with information on the plan’s institutional structure, and another for citizens, with user-friendly instructions about the vaccination procedure. These tools were fully transferred to the municipalities of Cúcuta, Villa del Rosario, Los Patios, Puerto de Santander, Tibú, Soledad, Arauquita, and Ciénaga. See Figure 1, which shows RGA’s approach to support PNV implementation.
20 Law 2068 of 2020 creates tax and nontax incentives to promote the tourism sector’s sustainability and competitiveness. 21 For instance, RGA hosted technical assistance sessions with the chambers of commerce of Cartagena and La Guajira to discussion the biosecurity protocols required for a safe economic reactivation in the hotel, gastronomy, and tourism sectors. RGA also provided technical assistance to SNGs in Cartagena and La Guajira on the implementation of the new tourism law and regulations related to the economic reactivation of the agricultural sector. 22 The PNV and the immunization program are different (the first covers COVID-19, and the second focuses on other vaccine campaigns such as influenza and measles), but the teams implementing both plans at the local level are the same and have the responsibility of guaranteeing access to both plans.
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FIGURE 1: RGA’S SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT GOC’S COVID-19 VACCINATION PLAN
PROMOTING MUNICIPAL ACCESS TO GOC PROGRAMS In partnership with national and subnational institutions, RGA mapped and promoted local access to 13 GoC programs related to digital skills, employment, education, rural development, entrepreneurship, and professional opportunities for migrants and women, among other activities.23 To increase access to these programs, RGA developed 13 infographics (see Figure 2) and shared them with RGA-supported women’s CSOs and program liaisons in target municipalities.24 Similarly, RGA infographics were disseminated broadly to target municipalities, local chambers of commerce, regional commissions for competitiveness, and civil society participating in program activities. Moreover, to ensure the sustainability of this strategy, RGA is developing a guide that will enable municipal administrtations to map available GOC programs and promote dialogues between national and subnational institutions on the need to adapt GOC programs to local needs. This quarter, the program also began coordinating with different institutions to disseminate information on (1) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Directorate of Rural Women’s financial education program, special credit lines for women and youth, and registration within the Rural Women’s Information System; (2) Ministry of Information and Communications Technology’s programs and calls for proposals, standard project frameworks, and digital centers; and (3) the Department for Social Prosperity’s program My Business and Collective Entrepreneurship, focused on fostering associative work, local public acquisitions, and solidary economy.
23 This number corresponds to the total under Component 7. 24 Annex 2 includes a selection of the infographics created to promote access to GoC programs.
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FIGURE 2: INFOGRAPHICS, ROAD MAPS, AND GUIDES TO PROMOTE ACCESS TO GOC PANDEMIC REGULATIONS AND PROGRAMS UNDER COMPONENT 7
EXPECTED RESULT 2: INCREASED DEPARTMENTAL AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF RELEVANT NATIONAL COVID- 19 POLICIES
HELPING SNGS ADOPT GOC LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS COVID-19 Last quarter, RGA developed a practical guide to assist its 14 target municipalities in adopting new GoC legislation on COVID-19. This quarter, the program formally transferred this tool to all target areas to provide clear information—including important legislative features, validity periods, and online resources—in a user- friendly format on 23 key GoC decrees that have a significant impact on public administration matters at the municipal level.25 Regarding public administration dispositions for economic recovery, the program provided technical assistance on credit leverage options established in Decree 678 of 2020 by supporting these administrations to calculate debt ceilings and prioritize public investment projects with those resources. In Cartagena, this assistance allowed the local administration to fund two projects totalling $19 million.
FOSTERING SNG ACCESS TO GOC ECONOMIC REACTIVATION BENEFITS RGA worked with local administrations, chambers of commerce, and regional commissions for competitiveness
25 RGA designed this practical guide based on four public administration areas to reflect how each selected decree has an impact on them: (1) municipal finances, including dispositions and tools to foster economic reactivation, and information on formulating and submitting public investment projects to address the pandemic; (2) municipal planning; (3) public procurement processes; and (4) sector-specific dispositions to manage public service provision in matters of health care, education, and water and sanitation.
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to promote the adoption of GoC programs and benefits aimed at fostering economic reactivation. In Riohacha and Maicao, RGA partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promote access to the ministry’s programs Contract Farming (Agricultura por contrato) and The Countryside at a Click (El campo a un clic), intended to assist local farmers in finding viable marketing opportunities. Additionally, RGA trained public officials from Maicao on Bancóldex credit lines and the GoC United for Colombia Program.26 During this training, the mayor’s office announced its support to reactivate the Local Development Fund, a measure intended to foster the economic recovery of small and medium enterprises affected by the pandemic. RGA also provided technical assistance to the municipal administration of Riohacha in promoting local acquisitions and creating the Agricultural Roundtable, a space that engages different stakeholders in discussions on the implementation of economic reactivation strategies.
In Norte de Santander, RGA provided assistance to the departmental administration to host the public policy dialogue Local Public Acquisitions: A Reactivation Strategy in Norte de Santander to encourage the adoption of Colombia’s public acquisitions law and the inclusion of small farmers in the public acquisition of local goods.27
RGA also assisted the Regional Commission for Competitiveness and the Agriculture Secretariat of Bolívar in disseminating the benefits created by Law 2071 of 2020, which offers financial and nonfinancial incentives for small, local producers affected by the pandemic. The program also worked with the regional commissions for competitiveness of Bolívar and Magdalena, the departmental administration of Magdalena, and the chambers of commerce of Santa Marta and Cartagena to create a roundtable for outlining a regional economic reactivation agenda, and another one to work with the Colombian Family Welfare Institute and small producers’ organizations to host local business discussions.
PROMOTING A SAFE RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM Measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have limited students and teacher’s ability to engage in education practices, especially those in vulnerable populations who lack access to online and remote tools. To overcome this challenge, RGA supported municipal administrations in its 14 target municipalities in creating committees for the implementation of hybrid education models.28 Within the framework of these committees, the program provided guidance to education authorities and public schools to help them identify actions that can guarantee a safe return to the classroom, such as the implementation of biosecurity protocols.
IMPLEMENTING COVID-19 HEALTH CARE PROTOCOLS FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR RGA is supporting SNGs and education authorities in promoting a gradual and safe return to classrooms. To do so, the program focused on providing assistance to local stakeholders in charge of verifying and approving health care protocols required for school reopening. In Arauca and Arauquita, the program created instruments to verify compliance with the minimum regulations and guidelines established by the GoC to prevent the risk of contagion in school populations. In Riohacha, Maicao, and Uribia, RGA assisted schools in reviewing their biosecurity protocols and produced a document compiling the guidelines required by health care and education authorities for school reopening. In Cúcuta, RGA partnered with the health and education secretariats to host three technical assistance sessions in which
26 Bancóldex is a state-owned bank created to promote productivity and competitiveness in the Colombian business sector. 27 See Expected Result 6 for more details on this strategy. 28 These committees allow SNGs to follow the Ministry of Education guidelines to establish hybrid education models as a tool to promote a safe and scaled return to the classroom for students and staff during the pandemic. The hybrid models combine inperson and remote learning strategies.
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participants of private and public schools were trained on COVID-19 containment and hybrid education model implementation. In Ciénaga, RGA developed a workshop to train school principals and teachers on PNV implementation.
IMPROVING COORDINATION AMONG THE THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THE MIGRANT CRISIS Understanding that an efficient response to the migrant crisis requires a permanent coordination across the three levels of government, RGA developed a strategy to promote policy dialogues between national and subnational stakeholders on GoC legislation enacted to address migration issues. Through this strategy, the program created a local migration managers strategy in Maicao, Villa del Rosario, and Santa Marta,29 aimed at providing assistance on four work fronts: (1) promoting local adoption of the guidelines issued by the World Bank and the Border Management Unit for the implementation of the migrant policy;30 (2) hosting public policy dialogues on migratory policies to receive feedback from SNGs on their local implementation; (3) increasing preparedness for the application of the temporary legislation for the protection of Venezuelan migrants and creating a guide to disseminate its main provisions and benefits; and (4) creating a guide for migrant service provision in line with municipal action plans and strategies targeted at the migrant population. As part of this strategy, RGA partnered with the governor’s office of Magdalena and the mayor’s office of Santa Marta to carry out six roundtables to address migrant issues; the program also assisted the departmental and municipal administrations in disseminating service acces road maps for Venezuelans arriving in the department and participated in discussions leading to the creation of a migration roundtable in Santa Marta. Migrant managers also partnered with health and education liaisons in RGA target municipalities to map the main bottlenecks affecting migrants and address community concerns about the temporary legislation for the protection of Venezuelan migrants. To this end, RGA worked with the Departmental Health Institute of Norte de Santander to host a technical session in which participants and stakeholders from the 40 municipalities of the department discussed the legislation’s implications. In La Guajira, RGA hosted a session in which 20 women received training on the legislation and committed to distributing and disseminating RGA’s guide within their communities.
EXPECTED RESULT 3: MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS, BUDGETS, AND OTHER POLICIES TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT, CONTAIN, AND RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
ANALYZING THE PANDEMIC’S FINANCIAL IMPACT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL RGA designed a strategy to support the planning of participatory processes, based on the updates made by the GoC to the SGR system under Article 30 of Law 2056/20, which requires municipalities to draft independent chapters on SGR investments within PDMs with inputs gathered in effective and inclusive participatory processes. This strategy comprises three objectives: (1) provide technical assistance to municipal administrations and communities on the legislation regarding SGR investments within PDMs; (2) ensure the inclusion of projects that can improve service provision, especially in health and education, for women and mixed migrant populations; and (3) provide technical assistance to municipal administrations
29 RGA’s local migration managers strategy is based on its local peace managers strategy, implemented in support of the 2016 Peace Accords under the program’s Component 1. The local peace managers strategy aimed at creating a bridge between local and regional stakeholders, improving information flow and coordination between parties, and preventing the duplication of efforts in the region. 30 For instance, World Bank recommendations for the municipality of Villa del Rosario include guidelines to promote the characterization of the migrant and returnee populations. In response, the municipal administration issued the Migration Response Plan, an instrument created to provide a coordinated response to the migrant crisis.
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and communities to strengthen the implementation of a gender approach in the analysis and prioritization of investment projects. RGA strengthened capacity in its target municipalities so that the flow of resources derived from the SGR becomes an opportunity to incorporate initiatives and investment projects with an emphasis on economic reactivation and a gender focus. Currently, 13 municipalities have $55 million in resources for 2021–2022.31 However, the availability of these resources depends exclusively on their capacity to formulate, outline, and prioritize projects with the criteria outlined, making RGA support on this topic even more important.32
Additionally, RGA is supporting the Cartagena administration in drafting its bailout plan for TransCaribe, which is a mandatory plan needed to access national credits and other benefits for public transportation service provision. Through this assistance, RGA seeks to help the Cartagena administration in accessing a national credit of approximately $18.97 million. This credit will constitute an economic reactivation action because it will allow TransCaribe employees to continue being employed while continuing to provide public transportation to vulnerable populations, who require it to access goods and services, and to participate in economic activities that require their mobilization across the city.
SUPPORTING PRASS IMPLEMENTATION This quarter, RGA awarded two subcontracts to technical expert teams, who are providing assistance to build capacity in local PRASS teams in all 14 target municipalities.33 The teams held 14 working sessions to build a baseline assessment of the main bottlenecks in PRASS implementation and to establish action plans tailored to the priorities of each municipality. Based on the initial assessment, RGA reviewed available implementation plans and included adjustments geared toward setting feasible goals and strategies according to the progress made in each municipality. Through its expert teams, RGA implemented a strategy to improve testing, tracing, and isolation procedures, comprising the following:
• Providing support in active case finding in remote and difficult-to-access areas, increasing the number of contacts traced per case.
• Promoting coordination with local health care providers to implement PRASS actions, especially active case finding.
• Encouraging coordination with nongovernmental organizations to increase the number of aids delivered and promote isolation among vulnerable populations.
• Strengthening municipal coordination to provide timely and adequate responses to new crises.
• Fostering community approaches with migrant and indigenous populations to disseminate COVID-19 awareness campaigns.
• Building capacity in municipal administrations to collect data and use existing information systems to analyze local COVID-19 conditions, identify at-risk areas, and coordinate interinstitutional roundtables.
31 All target municipalities except for Soledad, which does not have SGR resources available. 32 See Expected Result 5 for more details on this strategy. 33 See Annex 4 for detailed information on RGA acquisition instruments this quarter.
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Support to Address the Migrant Crisis in Arauquita
The confrontations between the Venezuelan army and FARC-EP dissident groups in the Venezuelan state of Apure led nearly 5,000 migrants to seek refuge in the border municipality of Arauquita in late March 2021. In response, RGA provided assistance to address the crisis by (1) supporting local authorities in taking 142 samples (one per family) among newly arrived migrants to contain the spread of COVID-19 and assist contact tracing efforts, (2) assisting local authorities in characterizing 10 percent of the samples taken to identify virus variants among this population, and (3) training nine community leaders in PRASS and COVID-19 prevention.
STRENGTHENING MUNICIPAL PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE This quarter, RGA continued supporting municipal administrations in improving their epidemiological surveillance tools and procedures. As of the end of March 2021, all target municipalities (except for Cartagena and Santa Marta) are actively using RGA’s epidemiological newsletter to trace and analyze COVID-19 and other health conditions affecting vulnerable populations.34 Through its health surveillance strategy, RGA has consolidated its participation in interinstitutional coordination spaces in which the program is seen as a source of reliable information that can help national and subnational governments deliver a coordinated COVID-19 response. Highlights in this component include the following:
• Maicao: Support to the health secretariat in developing the first epidemiological surveillance committee.
• Arauca and Arauquita: Participation and data reporting in the epidemiological surveillance committee and the Central Command Unit for COVID-19 and PRASS monitoring.
• Norte de Santander: Participation and data reporting in epidemiological surveillance committees (Los Patios, Puerto Santander, and Tibú) and dissemination of COVID-19 prevention and vaccination road maps with community leaders and stakeholders from the department’s 40 municipalities.
• Soledad: Support to create the first cross-sector COVID-19 situation room.
• Santa Marta and Ciénaga: Support in COVID-19 situation rooms.
RGA continued disseminating and adjusting its mathematical model for outbreak projections, which allows departmental and municipal institutions to improve COVID-19 preparedness and containment. Municipal administrations (including Riohacha, Maicao, Arauca, Arauquita, and Cúcuta) have used this model to map required actions in service provision, intensive care unit bed allocation, and movement restriction measures, among other activities. At the request of the La Guajira departmental administration, RGA partnered with the epidemiological surveillance office to transfer its mathematical model to public officials from the department’s 15 municipalities.
In Santa Marta, RGA supported the health secretariat in using the program’s epidemiological newsletter and mathematical model, and trained health care staff in analyzing public health events. In Maicao, it disseminated the protocol for surveilling vector-borne diseases that affect the local population, especially in migrant settlements and vulnerable neighborhoods. In Riohacha, after the detection of the Brazilian
34 USAID’s Local Health System Sustainability Program provides similar technical assistance.
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COVID-19 variant in Venezuela, RGA assisted the municipal administration in issuing a green alert to prevent potential outbreaks. In Arauca, RGA participated in weekly meetings of the departmental Central Command Unit and helped define concrete action plans in other decision-making spaces by gathering data and scaling up the use of program-promoted surveillance tools. In Norte de Santander, RGA verified the incorporation of the migrant population within the scope of health situation analyses for Tibú, Puerto de Santander, Los Patios, and Villa del Rosario.35
IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM RGA continued to increase access to the health care system for vulnerable populations. As a result of this assistance, RGA-supported municipalities reported a total enrollment of 38,417 people, including 36,229 Venezuelan migrants, 1,856 returnees, and 332 children. To undertake this process, the program designed health care access road maps tailored to each target municipality and transferred them to municipal administrations. Responding to changes the GoC made to the Identification System for Potential Beneficiaries of Social Programs (SISBEN) and to the potential effects of RGA road map to access the Colombian health care system the temporary legislation for the protection of Venezuelan migrants,36 RGA held a technical roundtable with health care enrollment liaisons from its 14 target municipalities to update their census lists of potential national and migrant beneficiaries. The program also worked toward the incorporation of the Ministry of Health’s Transactional Enrollment System in the 14 target municipalities.37 In Riohacha, RGA assisted the local administration in drafting a report on the status of enrollment and health care access for migrant children and adolescents, in response to a request submitted by the Office of the Inspector General. In Soledad, RGA participated in a roundtable with the enrollment office, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, SISBEN representatives, and the National Civil Registry, which led to agreements on overcoming enrollment bottlenecks, sharing information, and promoting self-managed enrollment, the last action being critical to protecting vulnerable persons (including migrants) from being charged for intermediation services. As part of its efforts to ensure program sustainability, RGA began transferring its enrollment methodologies and best practices to USAID’s Local Health System Sustainability Program.
ASSISTING SNGS IN DRAFTING AND UPDATING HEALTH CARE PLANNING INSTRUMENTS RGA continued supporting 12 target municipalities in updating health care planning instruments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.38 In Maicao, RGA helped health authorities in reviewing health care plans and drafting 2021 action plans and strategies. The program also provided assistance by mainstreaming issues affecting migrant and indigenous populations within local health care
35 Health Situation Analyses are annual documents issued by departmental and municipal authorities to characterize health profiles and risks within a specific population. They are a basic input for guiding public policy and health care planning. 36 SISBEN is a national database used by the GoC to identify people living in poverty or in vulnerable conditions. Considering that a large proportion of the database had not been updated since 2011, the GoC implemented modifications and included new variables to streamline and adjust group classification and to improve subsidy allocation and program access criteria. These changes became effective in March 2021. 37 This platform allows users to self-manage their enrollment process and to report modifications of their health care status and information, thus streamlining enrollment procedures by SNGs. 38 The assistance was provided to all program target municipalities except for Cartagena and Santa Marta, where USAID’s Local Health System Sustainability Program provides similar technical assistance.
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planning tools. It did so by reviewing collective intervention plans within the scope of actions aiming to curb the spread of vector-borne diseases,39 supporting actions to reduce malnutrition in migrant and indigenous children under five, preventing mental health issues, and assisting the local administration in designing an action plan to decrease the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases. Also, in Maicao and Uribia, RGA provided technical assistance to outline 2021 health action plans. In Norte de Santander, RGA focused on updating and overseeing the technical and financial execution of collective intervention plans in its five target municipalities and incorporating actions within these plans to improve service provision for migrants. The program also hosted two sessions in which community action board presidents received training on COVID-19 prevention, vaccination road maps, and service access. In Soledad and Ciénaga, RGA aided the municipal administrations in updating their COVID-19 contingency plans.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE PANDEMIC AND THE MIGRANT CRISIS RGA continued to provide assistance to train student communication groups in storytelling and radio techniques to promote healthy habits and prevent COVID-19 among school communities. Through a grant to the CSO [redacted], the program supported eight student communication groups in the design of videos, podcasts, and a bilingual digital guide (in Spanish and Wayuunaiki) in La Guajira, which outlines COVID-19 prevention guidelines while fostering coexistence among Colombian and Venezuelan populations to prevent xenophobia. In Arauca, communication group participants created stories about solidarity between Colombian and Venezuelan citizens to encourage a more inclusive outlook on migration. Additionally, the program supported the design and broadcast of three radio campaigns in Norte de Santander aimed at promoting enrollment among children and adolescents in public schools, which has decreased considerably since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Ministry of Education.
EXPECTED RESULT 4: INCREASED NATIONAL-LEVEL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR RESOURCES INVESTED IN THE COVID-19 RESPONSE
SUPPORTING PROJECT FORMULATION TO INCREASE LOCAL PUBLIC INVESTMENTS AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC RECOVERY RGA built municipal capacity in project formulation to increase local resources to address the pandemic and improve service provision. The program conducted 15 sessions in all target municipalities in the last two quarters, including an additional training session in the logical framework methodology and the use of the GoC’s online tool for project formulation in Los Patios.40
The program also supported six target municipalities in formulating and obtaining approval for 16 public investment projects,41 through which it mobilized $6.7 million in public resources to address COVID-19 and improve service provision for the migrant population, benefiting more than 553,500 people (see Annex 3). This includes $55,000 mobilized from the GoC’s Fund to Mitigate Emergencies (FOME) through a
39 A collective intervention plan is a benefit plan that comprises interventions to promote good health and manage risks. It aims to have a positive impact on social factors that affect health and reach the goals established in territorial health plans. A territorial health plan is a short- and medium-term planning instrument for health care at the local level. 40 The 14 municipalities are Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca); Soledad and Santa Marta (Atlántico); Cartagena (Bolívar); Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia (La Guajira); Ciénaga and Santa Marta (Magdalena); and Cúcuta, Villa del Rosario, and Los Patios (Norte de Santander). 41 The six municipalities are Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca); Ciénaga (Magdalena); Soledad (Atlántico); Maicao (La Guajira); and Tibú (Norte de Santander). Overall, under Component 7, RGA supported the formulation and approval of 33 public investment projects, mobilizing $24. 8 million in public resources.
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public investment project aimed at acquiring biosecurity elements to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in different schools in Soledad.
Through this line of work, RGA also supported the municipality of Arauca in undertaking procedural requirements to access Territorial Pension Savings Fund (FONPET) drawdowns.42 As a result of this assistance, the municipality received more than $2.4 million to finance public investment projects.
This project total also reflects RGA assistance to the municipality of Maicao in drafting and obtaining approval for the Capacity Building for Economic Reactivation of the Formal Commerce Sector in Maicao Project. The project has a budget of $41,397 and aims at reducing labor informality by providing technical assistance and training for employment.
FIGURE 3: RGA-SUPPORTED PROJECTS UNDER Q2
EXPECTED RESULT 5: INCREASED TRANSPARENCY, OVERSIGHT, AND CONTROL OF GOC FUNDING AND PROGRAMS
PROMOTING CITIZEN OVERSIGHT To promote citizen oversight and government transparency during the pandemic, RGA continued its training process in the HCC methodology. Through this work, RGA is enhancing citizen’s and public officials’ skills to engage in political participation and oversee service provision and public investments aimed at addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This quarter,
42 FONPET, managed by the Ministry of Finance, collects, manages, and allocates resources deposited by local administrations to pay public officials’ pensions. Not all municipalities can access FONPET resources; funds are available only to those municipalities that have saved more than 125 percent of the money destined for public officials’ pensions.
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the program hosted five sessions in Arauca, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander to train 276 citizens and 68 public officials in the HCC methodology, for a cumulative total of 416 citizens and 100 public officials trained over the course of the program’s intervention. Additionally, RGA hosted the online forum Exchange of Best Practices and Significant Public Investment Oversight Experiences, in which participants learned about the results achieved by RGA-supported citizen oversight groups and exchanged knowledge on key issues related to health care provision, coexistence, mental health, and updates to the SGR.43
Continuing its work from last quarter, RGA also promoted the creation of one citizen oversight group in the municipality of Uribia, for a total of 10 such groups established with RGA’s assistance.44 By participating in these groups, 43 women and 18 men who are part of these groups have been able to engage in collaborative work with municipal administrations to provide recommendations on how to improve policy decisions and service provision, especially for vulnerable communities. This joint work between oversight groups and local institutions led to important achievements, such as the inclusion of education staff within vaccination monitoring plans and the development of COVID-19 prevention sessions in migrant settlements in Tibú; the creation and dissemination of COVID-19 prevention road maps in Villa del Rosario; recommendations to hospitals to reinforce biosecurity and COVID-19 prevention protocols in Arauca, Arauquita, and Tibú; and the dissemination of domestic violence and GBV prevention road maps in Riohacha.
43 The forum can be viewed at: https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=58QZPnu5ox8&t=191s&ab_channel=OperacionesRebusColombia. 44 These were the nine citizen oversight groups created with RGA’s assistance in previous quarters: Villa del Rosario, Tibú, Los Patios, Cúcuta, and Puerto Santander (Norte de Santander); Maicao and Riohacha (La Guajira); and Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca).
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Promoting Migrant Inclusion in Citizen Oversight
Initiatives
RGA adapted USAID’s HCC methodology to promote the creation of eight migrant support committees, in which 28 Venezuelans (23 women and five men) are actively participating to bring their communities’ needs to the forefront. Since undocumented migrants are not allowed to be official members of citizen oversight groups, these spaces are providing valuable opportunities for regularized and nonregularized migrants to engage in public matters. For [redacted], a migrant construction worker who arrived in Colombia six years ago,
“Working with the committee [in Arauca] has been great, because they support Venezuelans. …We’re like siblings, and the committee has made me a better person. It has taught me that we’re all equal and that we can work together.” These committees have also been instrumental in transforming how Colombian citizens perceive migrants and advocate for their inclusion. [Redacted], a member of the citizen oversight group in Arauca, stated that RGA’s support has been crucial because “They trained us and allowed us to understand that the [Redacted], member of the migrant support Venezuelan people are not here to take what’s ours; they don’t have committee in Arauca. anything, and they’re here trying to improve their livelihoods.”
RGA FOR USAID
STRENGTHENING PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY Lack of transparency and limited access to public information during the pandemic are reducing citizens’ trust in local governments and affecting the overall quality and stability of democratic institutions. To address this problem, RGA assisted 12 target municipalities in planning, conducting, and evaluating public accountability events on municipal actions in health care investments and gender and migrant issues.45 The program trained more than 400 citizens and public officials in public accountability strategies and guidelines. These efforts were amplified by using communication mechanisms such as radio programs, megaphone advertising, short films, and Facebook Live streams, through which the program was able to disseminate public accountability information in rural and off-grid areas.
Continuing its work from last quarter, RGA supported nine municipalities in drafting mandatory accountability reports for FY 2020,46 reaching its 14 target municipalities with this assistance during the program’s intervention. The program also assisted the local administrations of Cartagena, Cúcuta, and Santa Marta in updating and improving consistency between Anti-Corruption and Citizen Service Plans, communication strategies, and accountability regulations.
45 Public accountability events took place in the municipalities of Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia (La Guajira); Cúcuta, Los Patios, Villa del Rosario, Puerto Santander, and Tibú (Norte de Santander); Arauquita and Arauca (Arauca); Cartagena (Bolívar); and Santa Marta (Magdalena). This is the total number of municipalities assisted under Component 7. 46 These municipalities are Cúcuta, Tibú, Puerto Santander, Villa del Rosario, and Los Patios (Norte de Santander); Santa Marta and Ciénaga (Magdalena); and Maicao and Riohacha (La Guajira).
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TRAINING LOCAL MEDIA AND IMPLEMENTING CITIZEN INITIATIVES TO FOSTER OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY RGA launched a new training cycle on transparency mechanisms and government structure with journalists and members of communication groups in Santa Marta, Ciénaga, Soledad, and Norte de Santander. Building on the results achieved in the training cycle conducted in the previous quarter, RGA continued supporting seven citizen initiatives with trained journalists aimed at promoting transparency and public accountability. By training communication groups and using tools such as videos, radio clips, infographics, performances, and newsletters, these initiatives are finding innovative ways to promote openness in government and to improve the quality of democratic practices.
CARRYING OUT PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES TO IMPLEMENT NEW SGR REGULATIONS The updates made by the GoC to the SGR system require municipalities to draft independent chapters on SGR investments within PDMs, with inputs gathered in open and inclusive participatory processes.47 RGA supported local administrations in all target municipalities in establishing communication strategies that seek to promote the creation of participatory roundtables in which citizens will be able to engage in public discussions on project prioritization and PDM monitoring. Similarly, the forum Exchange of Best Practices and Significant Public Investment Oversight Experiences, hosted in March, featured a specific section in which DNP specialists informed participants about the implications of the new SGR regulation and presented the mechanisms through which citizens and oversight groups can participate and monitor the execution of SGR-funded projects.48
Raising Awareness of New SGR RGA launched a community awareness campaign through Regulations a video that explains in detail the content of the law and the scenarios in which citizens can participate and submit their ideas and recommendations for drafting SGR chapters. The video highlights the relevance of participatory roundtables as spaces in which local stakeholders will be able to prioritize projects and initiatives. Additionally, it underscores the need for monitoring SGR chapters for a successful and transparent PDM implementation. By disseminating this video, RGA is laying the groundwork to conduct the participatory roundtables established by the law.
Figure 4 shows the main provisions of the regulation and RGA’s cross-cutting approach to support its implementation process.
47 At the end of 2020, the GoC issued new regulations for SGR transfers, which establish that municipalities may approve SGR funding on their own if the projects to be funded have been prioritized through participatory processes with civil society and are included in a specific chapter of PDMs. 48 The video created with RGA’s support to explain the main components of Law 2056 of 2020 can be viewed at https://eventosrgausaid. rebus. com. co/embed/-MX2wipcL5tN7zhikwPX/-MWVmHcqNUUp0CE5oHgN.
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FIGURE 4: RGA’S STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE ADOPTION OF NEW SGR REGULATIONS
IMPROVING LOCAL PROCUREMENT PROCESSES Based on the analysis of local procurement capacities conducted in the previous quarter, RGA assisted 10 municipalities,49 in drafting Annual Acquisitions Plans, 50 in addition to the four municipalities,51 already supported in this line of work during
49 Puerto Santander, Villa del Rosario, Tibú, and Cúcuta (Norte de Santander); Uribia, Maicao, and Riohacha (La Guajira); Soledad (Atlántico); Ciénaga (Magdalena); and Cartagena (Bolívar). RGA supported the municipalities of Arauca, Arauquita, Santa Marta, and Los Patios in the previous quarter. 50 An Annual Acquisition Plan is a planning instrument that allows SNGs to program and disseminate information on the type of goods and services they are seeking to acquire. 51 RGA supported the municipalities of Arauca, Arauquita, Santa Marta, and Los Patios in the previous quarter.
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the previous quarter (Arauca, Arauquita, Santa Marta, and Los Patios). The program also focused on strengthening public officials’ technical and legal skills to conduct transparent public procurement processes by hosting 57 training sessions in partnership with the Colombian procurement agency, Colombia Compra Eficiente. Additionally, during this quarter, RGA supported 14 procurement processes amounting to $1.8 million for projects funded mainly through the System of National Transfers and related to education, health care, and transportation, among other categories.
EXPECTED RESULT 6: IMPROVED SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO NON- HEALTH-RELATED COMMUNITY (INCLUDING MIGRANT) NEEDS AMID THE PANDEMIC, SUCH AS ASSISTING SCHOOLS TO USE DISTANCE LEARNING, IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL PROGRAMS, AND SUPPORTING MEASURES THAT PROMOTE LOCAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY
This quarter, RGA continued implementing its economic reactivation strategy in target municipalities through three work lines: promoting local consumption, implementing biosecurity protocols, and fostering the adoption of economic incentives.
PROMOTING LOCAL CONSUMPTION RGA provided assistance to the Norte de Santander administration in developing a strategy to promote a bottom-up implementation of Colombia’s public acquisitions law.52 This legislation requires public, mixed-economy, and private institutions using public funds to allocate at least 30 percent of their food acquisition budgets to buy produce from local, small farmers. It also entails the creation of local public acquisition roundtables as spaces in which stakeholders will be able to map available supplies of local produce and provide policy recommendations to inform the regulatory work under way by the GoC at the national level. To assist its implementation, RGA supported the Norte de Santander Departmental administration in hosting the event Local Public Acquisitions: A Reactivation Strategy in Norte de Santander. During the event, the governor of Norte de Santander acknowledged RGA’s contributions and mentioned that these dialogues will “help small farmers have a prompt access to commercialization opportunities and connect with local, regional, national, and even international markets.” The event led to the creation of the Departmental Roundtable of Public Acquisitions. Moreover, participants defined the actions needed to register and formalize local producer businesses; began discussions to define the institution responsible for monitoring compliance with the budget allocation percentages established by law; started preparations to conduct three business roundtables together with the chambers of commerce of Cúcuta, Ocaña, and Pamplona; and identified the need to conduct training sessions for local producers and to establish a monitoring mechanism to follow up on roundtable commitments. Additionally, to capitalize on the success of this event, RGA is replicating similar public policy dialogues in Riohacha, Cartagena, Arauca, and Santa Marta, and is developing a general guide to support SNGs in target municipalities in hosting public policy dialogues.53 Figure 4 shows RGA’s strategy to support the implementation of the law.
52 Governments across Latin America have established public acquisition strategies that allow them to purchase goods that they need for government-funded programs from local producers. This includes strategies in which governments use public funds to buy produce from local farmers to supply food for school meal programs. In Colombia, these kinds of public acquisition strategies have been regularized through Decree 248 of 2021, issued on March 9, 2021. 53 Once approved, RGA will start disseminating and transferring this guide to SNGs.
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FIGURE 5: RGA’S STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COLOMBIA’S PUBLIC ACQUISITIONS LAW
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IMPLEMENTING BIOSECURITY PROTOCOLS FOR ECONOMIC REACTIVATION RGA continued providing technical assistance to support municipalities in disseminating the protocols required for a scaled and safe reopening of local economies. In La Guajira, the program worked with the economic development secretariats of Riohacha and Maicao, chambers of commerce, regional commissions for competitiveness, and environmental authorities in designing and ensuring the adoption of biosecurity protocols for the commerce, agriculture, and tourism sectors. In Norte de Santander, program efforts focused on disseminating biosecurity protocols in the municipalities of Villa del Rosario (agricultural sector) and Cúcuta (marketplaces and food supply centers). In Cartagena, RGA assisted the economic reactivation liaison in strengthening the city’s platform for the submission, review, and approval of businesses’ biosecurity protocols and developed a checklist to verify protocol compliance. The program also disseminated biosecurity protocols for restaurants, hotels, travel agencies, barber shops, and maritime operators, and began coordinating with the tourism corporation of Cartagena to outline biosecurity protocols for the cruise ship sector.
FOSTERING MUNICIPAL ADOPTION OF GOC INCENTIVES FOR ECONOMIC REACTIVATION RGA disseminated and promoted the adoption of GoC benefits designed to offer conditional tax breaks and fiscal benefits (commonly known as smart tax incentives) for institutions and sectors committed to invest in boosting productivity and reactivating the labor market. Additionally, to scale its impact and effectiveness, smart incentives are targeted primarily at economic clusters where these measures have a better chance of achieving substantial change. To promote access to these benefits, RGA worked with trade associations, chambers of commerce, and the Colombian Chamber of Construction in the formulation of a project to apply for local tax incentives that will be submitted to the mayors’ offices of Cúcuta, Villa del Rosario, and Los Patios, and later to municipal councils for final approval and implementation.
TRAINING TEACHERS TO IMPROVE EDUCATION SERVICE PROVISION Measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have limited citizens’ ability to mobilize and engage to address the issues facing their communities. This is especially true for students and teachers in vulnerable populations, who lack access to online and remote tools. To overcome this challenge, RGA coordinated efforts with the private and public sectors to train teachers in online and remote education methodologies, enabling them to strengthen education service provision during the pandemic. Through its subcontractor [redacted], the program developed a training program aimed at teachers who wish to improve their technology skills and apply them to online teaching. More than 767 teachers in all 14 target municipalities participated in this program and learned about innovative pedagogical practices based on active methodologies to implement them in their teaching-learning process and in their relationship with students in and out of the classroom.
EXPECTED RESULT 7: STRENGTHENED CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT IN THE COVID-19 RESPONSE, INDEPENDENTLY AND COLLABORATIVELY WITH GOVERNMENT
MOBILIZING YOUTH TO ADDRESS THE PANDEMIC AND PROMOTE MIGRANT INCLUSION RGA promoted youth engagement in social issues and political participation mechanisms by supporting 11 youth initiatives aimed at strengthening dialogues with local administrations, and by developing communication strategies for COVID-19 containment and youth and migrant inclusion. With RGA’s assistance, the CSOs [redacted] launched the campaigns We Are Together in This (Juntos en esto) and Keeping Up with Health Care with the Mayor’s Office (La salud al día con la alcaldía) in Puerto Santander, consisting of eight radio programs focused on conflict resolution, xenophobia, citizen
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participation, gender issues, health care provision, and migration. In Cúcuta, the CSO [redacted] conducted social cartography sessions to map community needs and vulnerable conditions in four neighborhoods and hosted two forums to promote coordination with local administrations on migration and COVID-19 responses, with the participation of the Women’s Roundtable, Universidad Católica, the National Institute for Learning, and the governor’s office. Other youth initiative achievements include the creation of a communication group with 15 migrants, returnees, and members of host communities to promote COVID- 19 prevention campaigns in Villa del Rosario; the creation of a radio training program for youth in Los Patios; and four workshops on journalism skills for indigenous communities in Arauca to increase community access to information during the pandemic. Members of the CSO [redacted] participate in the radio program We Are Together in This. Through its grant to the CSO [redacted], RGA continued training [REDACTED] FOR RGA AND USAID young people in COVID-19 prevention in Norte de Santander. [Redacted] also continued the weekly publications of the Campus Magazine and implemented strategies such as online prevention challenges,54 PDM monitoring exercises, the creation of a soccer program to promote the role of health care guardians, and granting three scholarships for young migrants.
EXPECTED RESULT 8: CONFLICT MITIGATED BY COUNTERING COVID-19-RELATED STIGMATIZATION AND MIGRANT XENOPHOBIA AND ADDRESSING OTHER CONFLICT DRIVERS
MANAGING RISK WITHIN SCHOOL COMMUNITIES TO REDUCE XENOPHOBIA AND PREVENT COVID-19 CASES RGA assisted education authorities and public schools in identifying actions that can guarantee a safe return to the classroom. In the last two quarters, the program supported 968 public school officials and teachers in its 14 target municipalities in creating school biosecurity protocols, which is a key step to implement local hybrid education model plans. Additionally, the program provided support to update school risk management plans in 10 target municipalities by promoting the inclusion of biosecurity guidelines in these plans.
In Norte de Santander, RGA supported the formulation of a project aimed at strengthening safe learning environments to prevent human rights violations in two public schools in Villa del Rosario. Through this project, the program is supporting the training of students and teachers on xenophobia and GBV prevention.
SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES TO PREVENT XENOPHOBIA AND DISCRIMINATION Through its grant to [redacted], RGA continued implementing the strategy to promote behavioral and cultural changes to prevent xenophobia in the municipalities of Puerto Santander, Los Patios, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario. RGA supported eight communication groups, led by students and community members, that have allowed participating women to be recognized as leaders through their work to promote service provision access and help prioritize their communities’ needs. The youth-led groups’ work has allowed communities to mitigate xenophobic rhetoric. Additional RGA anti-xenophobia
54 CAMPUS Magazine is a weekly audiovisual magazine that publishes information on COVID-19 prevention, self-care measures, and youth participation.
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programming included eight training workshops on emotional intelligence, assertive communication, gender approaches, and migration. The program also hosted two forums: Education for Change: Education from the Perspective of Emotional Intelligence, with members of the education community; and Nationality, Migration, and Xenophobic Discourses in the Media, with journalists from Colombia and Venezuela. Additionally, the program continued the campaign Women Empowered to Tell Stories (showcasing the life stories of migrant and returnee women) and launched four initiatives to combat xenophobia in the four target municipalities.55
The program is making progress in guaranteeing the sustainability of its efforts to mitigate stigmatization and xenophobia. For instance, the mayor’s office of Los Patios committed to embedding the anti- xenophobia productions of RGA-supported groups within their website. In Villa del Rosario, interns from the University of Pamplona are developing a literacy campaign for women in RGA-supported groups. In Tibú, at a school principal’s request, the student group will open a branch office in a rural area; the radio magazine Peace Nomads will have a biweekly spot on the radio station Ecos del Catatumbo; and media participants who attended RGA-led forums will develop a style guide to address migration and promote news reporting that uses an inclusive approach.
EXPECTED RESULT 9: STRENGTHENED BOGOTÁ GOVERNMENT CAPACITIES TO SERVICE THE MIGRANT POPULATION
IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE SERVICE PROVISION RGA outlined a proposal to improve bottlenecks in institutional coordination within the Social Inclusion Secretariat, particularly within the Intersectional Committee that will be in charge of providing assistance to mixed migration flows. The program is also analyzing similar experiences of interinstitutional coordination nationwide that can be replicated in Bogotá and is supporting the Social Inclusion Secretariat in the analysis of information that can help it identify available financial resources to provide comprehensive care to the migrant population in the city.
ASSISTING MIGRANT POPULATION WITH A GENDER APPROACH RGA sought to strengthen migrant women’s ability to identify and understand their rights so they can respond to practices that stigmatize them and place them in greater vulnerability. To do so, the program designed a strategy in this quarter to mobilize 64 representatives from women’s CSOs to promote affirmative actions with a gender approach, aimed at shifting citizen perspectives, reducing stereotypes, and advocating for improved service provision in local women’s councils.56 This strategy encompasses four steps: (1) road maps to increase the advocacy of women’s CSOs, (2) institutional coordination road maps, (3) a training plan for women and CSOs, and (4) an inclusion strategy for migrant women within the administration’s programs and services.
55 The four municipalities are Puerto Santander, Los Patios, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario. 56 Local women’s councils are institutions that advise local districts on matters of women’s and gender public policies to address issues such as gender gaps, inequality, discrimination, and GBV. Participation and advocacy in these councils help civil society bring their concerns and priorities before local administrations.
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PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FORMULATE PROJECTS AND MOBILIZE RESOURCES In the last quarter, RGA assessed the state of Bogotá public investment projects and found two general bottlenecks in their implementation: (1) The administration has investment projects approved for a four-year period (2020–2024) that cover a wide range of work, but their operation is not always clear; and (2) the Bogotá administration had been working with planning processes different from those outlined by DNP, and it was not until 2020 that the GoC made it mandatory to submit projects following national guidelines. In this quarter, considering these findings, the program trained 160 public officials from the Women’s Secretariat in project formulation with a gender focus to strengthen the administration’s abilities to include this approach in all stages of public project planning and design. It also provided the Women’s Secretariat, the Social Inclusion Secretariat, and Bogota’s Security Coexistence and Justice Secretariat with tools to improve their use of resources and their Invitation to participate in an RGA follow-up and monitoring processes, and provided technical assistance training session in project formulation with a gender focus, in the use of the logical framework methodology. hosted on March 2021.
PREVENTING XENOPHOBIA THROUGH CITIZEN PARTICIPATION RGA supported Bogotá’s Security, Coexistence, and Justice Secretariat in the implementation of a strategy aimed at reducing discrimination and xenophobia. As part of this strategy, the program provided assistance to conduct workshops with 336 representatives from host communities and migrant populations from CSOs in five local districts.57 These workshops focused on institutional strengthening aimed at promoting local actions based on community management and dialogue to foster mutual respect, cultural exchanges, and compliance with local regulations among migrant and host communities. As a result of these activities, the parties reached preliminary agreements to foster spaces for community conversations and outlined measures to address situations related to xenophobia.
57 The five districts are Bosa, Engativá, Suba, Chapinero, and Usme.
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FIGURE 6: RGA’S MIGRANT STRATEGY IN BOGOTÁ
SUPPORTING STRATEGIES FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY The successful inclusion of Venezuelan migrants in Bogotá depends partly on the administration’s capacity to involve migrants in its strategies for economic reactivation. Acknowledging this, RGA supported the identification of the context in which this strategy was developed, along with the plans, programs, and projects designed to implement it. To do so, the program designed qualitative instruments to collect information on public and private service provision available within the administration.
GENDER AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS STRATEGY
This quarter, RGA provided technical assistance to mainstream gender approaches within municipal administrations, promote project formulation with a gender focus, and strengthen civil society participation—especially among women, youth, migrants, and the LGBTQ community—in public and decision-making spaces. Within the framework of International Women’s Day, the program developed several initiatives to respond to the needs of vulnerable populations and raise awareness of gender issues while developing skills within CSOs to strengthen advocacy efforts to improve public service provision for these populations during the pandemic.
TRAINING CSOS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR ADVOCACY EFFORTS RGA provided technical assistance to nine women CSOs to strengthen their advocacy efforts to promote inclusion,58 government transparency, and the prioritization of women’s needs. Through this assistance, these organizations
58 The CSOs are Mesa municipal de mujeres “Mujeres con Esperanza” in Puerto Santander, Mujeres FAMI in Los Patios, OSC Asociación mujeres sin límites y con propósito in Villa del Rosario, Mesa municipal de mujeres in Tibú, Corporación denuncia y muévete in Cúcuta, mecanismo formal de diálogo de las mujeres in Cartagena, Red de mujeres migrantes in Maicao, Red de mujeres comunales de Uribia, and Salto del Ángel in Riohacha.
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advocated for service provision improvements. For example, as a result of this work, the trained CSOs developed 35 actions for GBV prevention and against discrimination and xenophobia toward girls, women, and migrant women in Cartagena; and in Maicao, the CSO Red de Mujeres requested that institutional coordination be strengthened to improve GBV services in the municipality, especially regarding migrant women.
STRENGTHENING MUNICIPAL COUNCILS FOR SOCIAL POLICY Women, youth migrants, and the LGBTQ community lack effective representation in COMPOS’s, so RGA provided technical assistance to 172 CSO representatives to increase these populations’ participation. To this end, the program strengthened coordination between civil society and municipal administrations in 12 target municipalities by supporting the informed participation of CSOs in COMPOS sessions.59 As a result of this work:
• The Women’s Roundtable of Los Patios advocated for access to health care services for migrant children, even if they are undocumented. This led the municipal council to reduce the cost of basic health care services for this population.
• The Women’s Roundtable of Puerto Santander, with RGA’s support, analyzed the barriers within the administration that hinder GBV and COVID-19 prevention. After this work, women presented their findings in a COMPOS session, advocating for an upgrade to the infrastructural conditions of the municipality’s family protection office to guarantee the privacy of women and their communities seeking services. As a result, the administration provided a new location for the station.
• The Red de Mujeres Migrantes in Maicao filed a document in which they requested a comprehensive approach to GBV prevention and care. During an intervention in a COMPOS session, they also requested strengthening institutional coordination to improve response to GBV cases in the municipality after a migrant woman was murdered.
• Women’s CSOs in Tibú updated the decree that allows for the creation of a formal dialogue mechanism between them and the municipal administration. For example, this allowed mechanism participants to assign women representatives to different participatory scenarios such as the local COMPOS.
Additionally, RGA conducted a training session with 86 women and gender liaisons from 10 municipalities aimed at strengthening their skills on formal dialogue mechanisms between women and municipal administrations.60 This training included guidelines on drafting decrees to regulate each mechanism, activity planning and execution, and regulations for CSOs.
59 The 12 municipalities are Puerto Santander, Los Patios, Villa del Rosario, Tibú, and Cúcuta (Norte de Santander); Cartagena (Bolívar); Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia (La Guajira); Santa Marta (Magdalena); and Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca). 60 The 10 municipalities are Cúcuta, Los Patios, Tibú, Puerto Santander, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander); Maicao, Uribia (La Guajira); Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca); and Cartagena (Bolívar).
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MAINSTREAMING GENDER APPROACHES To promote gender mainstreaming within municipal administrations, RGA provided assistance based on three lines of work: building capacity and developing skills in project formulation and planning, providing support to implement GBV coordination mechanisms,61 and developing initiatives around International Women’s Day to raise awareness on gender issues.
The program provided technical assistance to gender secretariats in 11 municipalities to strengthen budget management processes and draft independent chapters on SGR investments within PDMs, following the new SGR legislation. As a result of this assistance, public officials and municipal gender liaisons from the women secretariats in Santa Marta, Cartagena, Villa del Rosario, and Tibú were included in the design and drafting stages of these chapters. Additionally, the program supported the identification and prioritization of 10 public investment projects with a gender focus that will be included in the SGR investment chapters in five target municipalities.62, 63 Additionally, RGA helped mobilize $280,000 in public resources through three public investment projects aimed at (1) strengthening the women’s center in Santa Marta, (2) extending secondary sewerage networks in the Membrillal neighborhood in Cartagena, and (3) providing logistical and operational support for executing activities of the Office for Women and Gender Affairs in Ciénaga.
To support the implementation of GBV coordination mechanisms, RGA provided technical assistance to five target municipalities.64 In Cúcuta and Puerto Santander, the program provided support to build capacity in GBV interinstitutional committees by helping them identify bottlenecks in GBV service provision. The main challenge the program found was a lack of monitoring and follow-up on GBV complaints made at family protection offices, health secretariats, and other institutions, which limits their ability to formulate comprehensive actions for women, including migrants. Thus, the program trained members of GBV interinstitutional committees on gender approaches and assisted them in establishing an action plan to participate in COMPOS sessions and drafting operational guidelines for GBV coordination mechanisms. In Cartagena and Santa Marta, RGA assisted municipal administrations in including GBV coordination mechanisms within COMPOS sessions. In Riohacha, the program provided assistance to the local administration to strengthen their knowledge in GBV coordination mechanisms.
FOSTERING PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY The COVID-19 pandemic has created pressing challenges for women, who continue to face hurdles to access basic goods and services. The surge of digital life during the pandemic has also exposed technological gaps that exist between men and women, exacerbating GBV, mental health issues, and unemployment among women.
61 After the rise in GBV during the pandemic, the GoC issued new regulations to address this matter, including the creation of a mandatory GBV interinstitutional coordination mechanism at the municipal level. This coordination mechanism is based on four components that together aim at providing comprehensive GBV services: prevention, attention, justice access, and information systems for case report and monitoring. 62 The 10 projects will cover actions such as (1) construction of the house for women entrepreneurs in Maicao, (2) support to productive chains for women artisans in Uribia, (3) support to productive enterprises, (4) construction of a house for the Afro- descendant population in Santa Marta, (5) strengthen of education infrastructure in Santa Marta, (6) support to an environmental recycling project in Arauca, (7) construction of a collection and sales center for rural and urban women’s products to strengthen their economies and help reactivate the economy in Arauca, (8) construction and/or improvement of the Houses of Justice, (9) strengthen the Family Police Stations in Cartagena, and (10) the creation of foster homes in Cartagena. 63 The five municipalities are Maicao and Uribia (La Guajira); Santa Marta (Magdalena); Arauca (Arauca); and Cartagena (Bolívar). 64 The five municipalities are Cartagena (Bolívar), Riohacha (La Guajira), Santa Marta, (Magdalena), Puerto Santander, and Cúcuta (Norte de Santander).
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Acknowledging these challenges, RGA strengthened the capacities of five SNGs to improve service access for women, including migrants, indigenous people, Afro-Colombians, and members of the LGBTQ community. Within this framework, RGA supported seven CSOs to develop several initiatives around International Women’s Day aimed at raising awareness of gender issues and improving service provision and access for women and their communities.
In Cartagena, the program supported the Women’s Affairs Office in the circulation of graphic pieces that resulted from the Agreement to Guarantee Women’s Safety in Public Transport, an initiative developed in partnership with the transportation company TransCaribe and aimed at disseminating educational messages on GBV prevention and elimination. Similarly, in partnership with the CSO Meraki Women and the administrations of Los Patios and Tibú, the program hosted the online forum Women’s Conversations: Digital Gaps in the Times of COVID-19.
In Norte de Santander, RGA supported local administrations and CSOs in implementing three initiatives to improve women’s mental health and self-care during COVID-19 while encouraging the use of technology. These initiatives included the participation of more than 100 women, who will create messages aimed at fighting GBV, gender stereotypes, and discrimination. Since March 8, the results and products of these initiatives have been showcased on RGA’s online event platform The Power of Women,65 where visitors can access life stories, testimonials, photographs, videos, and other materials displaying women’s engagement in promoting equality and ending GBV.
ASSISTING GENDER-FOCUSED CITIZEN INITIATIVES IN THE PREVENTION OF COVID-19 RGA worked with seven CSOs and municipal administrations to design and implement citizen initiatives with a gender approach that can address issues affecting women and vulnerable populations (including migrants) such as GBV and discrimination. Through this process, 270 women received training in biosecurity protocols and guidelines, healthy self-care habits, and technology skills that allowed them to reintegrate into their roles and jobs safely, promoting economic recovery within their communities. For example:
• In Los Patios, RGA supported the CSO Meraki Women in working with the technology secretariat and the administration’s gender liaison to develop the initiative Women and Technology: Strengthening Knowledge to Close Gaps and Promote Self-Care within the Framework of COVID-19. Through a series of online tutorials, 35 women received training on technology tools that included how to create an email account, attach files, and use social media.
• In Villa del Rosario, RGA supported the CSO [redacted] in working with 20 women in developing the initiative Women Caregivers: Safeguards and Textile Resistance, which promoted the discussion of GBV issues and preventive measures through the creation of embroidered pieces.
• In Cúcuta, RGA assisted the CSO [redacted] in coordinating efforts with the health secretariat to lead the initiative #TAKECAREOFYOURSELF, a campaign that aims at promoting mental health care for women.
65 The platform can be consulted at https://eventosrgausaid.rebus.com.co/home.
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PROGRESS ASSESSMENT
RGA’s statement of work was modified in June 2020 to include Component 7 to focus on increased municipal preparedness for COVID-19 prevention, containment, and recovery in target municipalities. In September 2020, USAID approved additional changes to RGA’s Performance Management Plan (PMP) with the goal of monitoring the impact of Component 7. RGA’s PMP was adjusted to reflect new targets for FY 2020 and FY 2021 and life of project (LOP) targets for four RGA indicators (RGA-02, RGA-07, RGA-08, and RGA-15) and included four new indicators: RGA-18, RGA-19, RGA-20, and RGA-21. In addition, on March 10, 2021, USAID approved adjustments to the Component 7 work plan that include FY 2021 and LOP goals for four indicators (RGA-07, RGA-015, RGA-018, and RGA-020) to reflect progress on newly included program activities and specifically those under its strategy to address migration in Bogotá.66 RGA will monitor and evaluate all actions and activities through its four new indicators and four existing ones, as outlined in its adjusted PMP, which USAID approved in September 2020.
Table 1 presents RGA’s progress in reaching its indicators this quarter. See Annex 5 for information about RGA’s progress in all program indicators.
TABLE 1: JANUARY–MARCH 2021 PROGRESS ASSESSMENT
TOTAL INDICATOR NAME FY 2021 Q2 FY 2021 LOP TOTAL PROGRESS TARGET PROGRESS ACTUAL TARGET PROGRESS (%)
RGA-07: Number of 31 17 28 258 460 178 CSOs receiving U.S. Government assistance engaged in advocacy interventions
RGA-08: Number of 6 1 6 210 262 125 committees for oversight activities, conducted by citizens, organized and supported as a result of RGA assistance
RGA-10: Value of Third N/A 30,245,496,239 85,933,283,848 N/A 1,234,915,052,040 N/A Party Mobilized Funds (Ym) (Colombian pesos)
RGA-11: Value of N/A 123,450,957 193,851,371 N/A 2,974,719,696 N/A USAID investments linked to Mobilized Funds (Xm) (Colombian pesos)
RGA-15: Number of 19 9 14 71 66 93 projects, proposals and/or concepts by CSOs, especially those that include participation of women and benefit citizens
66 See Component 7 Work Plan in Annex 3: RGA Indicators.[[AQ: Annex 3 is titled “Resources Mobilized through RGA- Supported Public Investment Projects” and does not include a Component 7 Work Plan.”
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RGA-18: Number of 445 215 445 495 495 100 public officials trained with U.S. Government assistance
RGA-19: Number of 28 16 31 33 36 109 RGA-supported public investment projects approved to access public and private funds
RGA-20: Number of 140 54 143 160 160 100 journalists trained and supported as a result of RGA’s assistance
RGA-21: Number of 12 12 12 12 12 100 municipalities that implement programs in response to COVID-19 as a result of RGA’s assistance67
COORDINATION WITH OTHER USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND INTERNATIONAL DONORS
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted several international donors to implement projects and programs in Colombia’s most heavily infected areas. The pandemic required strategies to contain the virus and avoid more contagions, so RGA sought to coordinate meetings with international donors and USAID programs to increase efforts and maximize the impact of recovery strategies and strategies to help municipal administrations to address economic reactivation.
This quarter, RGA held meetings and coordinated activities with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Vision, and the Interagency Group on Mixed Migratory Flows (GIFMM). In coordination with departmental and municipal education secretariats in Norte de Santander, La Guajira, and Arauca, RGA worked to develop tools and methodologies to establish public school needs during COVID-19. This included providing guidance to education authorities and public schools to help them identify actions that can guarantee a safe return to the classroom for students and teachers, creating standing committees for the implementation of hybrid education models and designing biosecurity protocols.
RGA also coordinated efforts with international donors to follow up on COVID-19 cases and contagion spread in Arauca and support health care enrollment for the migrant population in La Guajira. Additionally, RGA shared with USAID’s Responsible Governance the results and best practices from its comprehensive strategy to foster a sustainable culture of government transparency and citizen oversight in target municipalities. Furthermore, the program began transferring its enrollment methodologies and best practices to USAID’s Local Health System Sustainability Program in two sessions aimed at teams in Norte de Santander, La Guajira, Bolivar, and Magdalena. See Annex 6 for more detailed information about RGA coordination with other USAID implementing partners and international donors.
67 RGA will continue reporting data on this indicator to reflect program work under four lines of work: (1) improving education service provision, (2) supporting GoC strategies to respond to COVID-19, (3) building local government capacity in epidemiological surveillance and health care leadership, and (4) assistance to promote economic reactivation.
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ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER
In the third quarter of 2021, RGA will continue providing assistance to prevent, contain, and recover from COVID-19 and to support service improvements for the migrant population. This will include the following:
• Strengthening targeted capacities in the Bogotá government to address and manage the Venezuelan migrant crisis. RGA will continue its activities in Bogotá to support the local government in addressing the Venezuelan migrant crisis in the city. This will include the following: (1) continue providing technical assistance to the Security, Coexistence, and Justice Secretariat to formulate projects and mobilize resources; (2) building capacity in the Women’s Secretariat to mainstream a gender approach to address migration; (3) mobilizing migrant women’s CSOs to contribute to eliminating stereotypes affecting women at the community level; (4) continue implementing the coexistence strategy to change discriminatory and xenophobic behaviors; and (5) building capacity in the Bogotá government to address security and justice challenges associated with the migrant crisis thorough a study that analyzes the migration phenomenon and its possible relationship with criminal dynamics, criminal economies, and violence overall.
• Consolidating citizen oversight and local government transparency. RGA will continue supporting citizen oversight groups in target municipalities in their efforts to disseminate results and submit recommendations for improving service access and provision. Additionally, in coordination with USAID’s new Responsible Governance Program, RGA will host a forum in April on HCC’s methodology and the lessons learned by RGA-supported citizen oversight groups to scale up these practices in municipalities with Rural Development Plans with Territorial Approach.68 It will also continue strengthening public accountability and government transparency by (1) developing a sixth journalist training cycle and enhancing the 10 communication initiatives that are under way, (2) supporting nine youth initiatives and strengthening sustainability of the work conducted by [redacted] and [redacted] in Norte de Santander and La Guajira, and (3) consolidating and systematizing the results achieved under this program component.
• Supporting PNV and PRASS implementation. RGA will continue its efforts to disseminate PNV road maps and guidelines and support target municipalities in increasing preparedness for the implementation of local vaccination plans. Regarding PRASS implementation, RGA’s work will focus on closing the products agreed to with municipal administrations, systematizing processes, promoting spaces to disseminate the results of the program’s intervention, and transferring tools and methodologies to local health care stakeholders to ensure their sustainability.
• Providing support to improve education service provision. RGA will continue training public officials and schools in the scope of their responsibilities in providing education during the pandemic and within the context of the migrant crisis. The program will provide support to draft school risk management plans and coexistence manuals. It will continue to provide assistance to train teachers in
68 The targeted municipalities are Tarazá, Cáceres, El Bagre, Zaragoza, Nechí, and Caucasia (Antioquia); San Vicente del Caguán, Cartagena del Chairá, La Montañita, Florencia, and El Doncello (Caquetá); Tierralta, Montelíbano, Puerto Libertador, Valencia, and San José de Uré (Córdoba); La Macarena, Vistahermosa, Puerto Rico, Uribe, and Mesetas (Meta); and Tumaco, Barbacoas, Roberto Payán, and Magüí (Nariño).
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technological tools to improve remote education methodologies, and work with local governments and school communities to monitor COVID-19 and prevent school dropouts.
• Continuing to support target municipalities in overcoming the financial impact of COVID- 19. RGA will continue assisting local administrations in their efforts to prop up the economy by (1) continuing to monitor budgets and public investment procedures to stave off negative financial impacts that may affect service and goods provision in target municipalities, (2) providing technical assistance on formulating projects to mitigate the pandemic’s impact, and (3) assisting local teams in preparing for the implementation of SGR regulations and drafting the corresponding SGR chapters within PDMs.
• Assisting target municipalities in the adoption of GoC regulations. RGA will continue supporting municipal administrations in adopting SGR regulations and strengthening the participatory processes required to map eligible projects for SGR funding. It will also continue promoting the subnational implementation of the local public acquisitions law and disseminating the benefits and obligations arising from recent GoC legislation, such as the new tourism law and the temporary legislation for the protection of Venezuelan migrants.
• Mainstreaming a gender approach. RGA will continue to strengthen participation skills in CSOs to promote vulnerable populations advocacy in public spaces such as COMPOS, and in monitoring PDM progress. Additionally, the program will develop three communication campaigns to reduce gender stereotypes, and nine civic initiatives to improve service access for women, including migrants, indigenous people, Afro-Colombians, and members of the LGBTQ community. These initiatives will aim at raising awareness of gender issues and improving service provision and access for women and their communities.
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TRANSFORMING LIVES
TEACHERS EMBRACE REMOTE EDUCATION The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional education for millions of students and teachers worldwide. To address this challenge, RGA provides support in strengthening technology skills to improve remote education in Colombia.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the education sector severely. School closures worldwide have forced teachers, students, and families to face the challenges of adapting to new technologies, coping with physical and mental health issues arising from lockdown measures, and juggling family and job responsibilities. The disruption’s consequences are far reaching. According to UNICEF,69 168 million children have lost almost a full academic year of in-person education, and 700 million children are currently studying from home. This global shock to the education system threatens to have long-lasting effects on enrollment and education quality, especially in regions where access to online platforms and training opportunities is limited or lacking.
To mitigate the impact of this crisis, governments around the world have taken steps to implement remote and hybrid learning strategies. In Colombia, 59 percent of education secretariats nationwide have implemented reopening protocols.70 As of March 23, 2021, 1,776 public schools and 3,014 private schools had returned to class through the implementation of hybrid education models. This means that approximately 625,000 children in public schools and 395,000 in private schools have progressively returned to the classroom. However, only 8 to 24 percent of enrolled students nationwide have returned to school, and teachers’ labor unions are reluctant to resume in-person activities.71 This sluggish return to normalcy has a disproportionate effect in the country’s rural areas, where 83 percent of students do not have access to a computer and internet service, according to the Laboratory of Education Economy.72
Despite its baffling nature, the crisis also opens an unprecedented opportunity to find new ways to approach learning and to build a more resilient education system. Understanding this opportunity, RGA is supporting teachers and students in all 14 target municipalities by improving their technology skills and implementing e-learning tools that allow them to find innovative ways to encourage student engagement and to adapt to new learning environments.
69 UNICEF, Covid-19 and School Closures. One Year of Education Disruption (UNICEF, March 2021), https://data. unicef. org/resources/one-year-of-covid-19-and-school-closures/. 70 Ministry of Education, “El 59% de las Secretarías de Educación del país avanzan en la implementación de la Alternancia para el retorno gradual, progresivo y seguro de los estudiantes a las aulas,” (February 15, 2021), https://www. mineducacion. gov. co/1759/w3-article-403726. html?_noredirect=1. 71 Education Management Observatory (April 1, 2021). https://www. obsgestioneducativa. com/reapertura-datos/. 72 Mateo Chacón, “Solo el 17% de los estudiantes rurales tiene Internet y computador,” El Tiempo, May 14, 2020, https://www. eltiempo. com/vida/educacion/solo-el-17-de-los-estudiantes-rurales-tiene-internet-y-computador-495684.
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TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
Measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have limited citizens’ ability to mobilize and engage to address the issues facing their communities. This is especially true for students and teachers in vulnerable populations, who lack access to online and remote tools. To address these challenges, RGA coordinated efforts with the private and public sectors to train teachers in online and remote education methodologies, enabling them to strengthen education service provision during the pandemic.
“One of the biggest challenges we face in the municipality [Villa del Rosario] is having access to the Internet … With this strategy, we have been able to overcome this barrier. I want to thank USAID’s RGA because they have given us valuable technical support; they provide advice and assistance to meet all the requirements that we receive [in the secretariat] … I’m extremely thankful to RGA’s staff.” Ingrid Katherine Basto, Deputy Secretary of Education, Villa del Rosario, Norte de Santander
FIGURE 7: RGA’S TRAINING IN ONLINE AND REMOTE METHODOLOGIES FOR TEACHERS UNDER Q2
Through its subcontractor [redacted], the program developed a training program aimed at teachers who wish to improve their technology skills and apply them to online teaching. Teacher School: Using Technology in Teaching and Learning is a training program tailored to the needs of each RGA target municipality and developed in coordination with local administrations. The program began on February 25 and is set to finish on May 14, 2021. More than 700 teachers are participating in this training, exceeding the proposed goal of 250 teachers in all 14 target municipalities.
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The success of this strategy so far lies in RGA’s timely response to changes in the sector, which allowed teachers and school principals to reorganize and transform pedagogical practices and comprehensively address situations that could jeopardize the well-being of children and youth in the classroom. Through the Teacher School program, public school teachers have adopted virtual tools that enrich teaching teams, improve their work in the classroom, and strengthen institutional development. In this way, RGA underscores its commitment to promote inclusion, participation, and support to education communities to make schools a safe environment for both teachers and students.
“Many teachers who enrolled in the initiative didn’t have the knowledge or proper training for implementing online tools with their students. They were used to traditional and in-person education. The main achievement of this program is that it promotes the appropriation of digital tools in the education community. Many of them have started to explore the tool and post course materials, and the response from students has been really positive.”
[Redacted] Tutor in Cartagena, Riohacha, and Ciénaga.
This training program comprises four modules aimed at (1) sensitizing teachers to their role in the process of technology appropriation and identifying the challenges posed by online teaching; (2) strengthening teaching and learning processes and identifying the functionalities, resources, and tools of the Tomi Digital platform to integrate them into their classes;73 (3) appropriating innovative pedagogical practices, based on active methodologies to implement them in their teaching-learning process; and (4) implementing applications, resources, and tools in their pedagogical practices.
Additionally, RGA conducted three webinars designed to address (1) RGA’s strategy to develop and implement biosecurity protocols within hybrid education models, (2) RGA’s risk management strategy for safe school environments, and (3) emotional intelligence skills among teachers to improve their relationships among themselves and with their students in a time of uncertainty, and foster communication channels through school management tools.
73 See the next section for more information about the Tomi Digital platform.
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According to demographic information collected during the first stage of the program, 67 percent of participants are women, 33 percent are men, and 1 percent identify as part of the LGBTQ community. The majority of teachers are between 40 and 50 years of age, followed by those between 30 and 40. About 20 percent of all teachers identify as part of an ethnic group. Thirty-two percent of teachers teach in rural areas, and the rest work in urban locations.
“What I value the most about this training is that
they not only taught us about technology skills, but most importantly they taught us how to address our students’ emotional needs while they are trying to study online. This helps us guide them [Redacted] through a time that is certainly difficult for all, while making sure they receive the best possible education.”
[Redacted], teacher at La Concepción Public School in Maicao,La Guajira
TOMI DIGITAL PLATFORM
One of the training program’s most successful components has been the module covering the Tomi Digital platform, a tool that allows teachers to teach remotely using dynamic and interactive content on any device, even without internet connection in the classroom. Through this application, teachers can choose from a variety of classes to present to their students, who can interact with their classmates in real time. Both teachers and students have responded positively to the platform.
Elizabeth Hernandez, a teacher at the Soledad Acosta de Samper public school in Soledad (Atlántico), was among the first group of teachers to implement this tool within her classes, and she received a very positive response from her ninth-grade students. They reported feeling more enthusiastic about attending class because of the interactive activities presented by the platform. They emphasized that the application allows them to follow processes and even rank their level against their classmates, which awakens their competitive spirit and motivates them to improve in their studies.
Based on the success of this platform’s implementation, RGA agreed to grant a free access license to the first 250 teachers who complete at least 75 percent of the training. Furthermore, the program is giving 28 additional licenses to schools whose teachers show the highest level of progress and are able to systematize their teaching experiences.
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ANNEX 1: NATIONAL CONTEXT
The delays experienced in finalizing vaccine acquisition agreements, which are needed to start PNV implementation, set off a sharp debate among public health experts and analysts about the real prospects of reversing the effects of the second COVID-19 wave and preventing a full-blown health and economic crisis. Although several countries in the region started receiving vaccines in early 2021, the GoC declared that Colombia had taken a different approach, prioritizing long-term goals over speedy acquisition and taking additional precautions to obtain the best and most secure vaccines available. On January 29, the government issued Decree 109 of 2021, establishing the general guidelines and prioritization criteria of its nationwide vaccination campaign. The decree was coupled with the announcement of binding agreements with the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (or COVAX) partnership, Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Sinovac for the acquisition of 61.5 million doses of vaccine, to be deployed gradually according to worldwide vaccine supplies and the stages defined in the PNV.
When the vaccine rollout began in mid-February, the Ministry of Health vowed that the administration would average 100,000 doses a day, but in reality the daily rate has been approximately half the planned level during the first several months. In February, institutions such as Our World in Data at the University of Oxford reported that Colombia ranked third from last in Latin America in the number of administered vaccine doses per 100 people, surpassing only Bolivia and Ecuador.74 Although health care authorities were able to accelerate the pace of vaccination by the end of March, Colombia’s vaccination rate still lags far behind other countries in the region. Certainly, the evolution of the PNV has exposed the logistical, economic, and institutional challenges facing the country in ensuring an efficient and timely COVID-19 response. As experts point out, one of the main issues is the lack of a unified database with updated and consistent information that all stakeholders can use to make coordinated policy decisions. The net result is that local institutions and health providers are grappling to locate vaccine recipients, especially the elderly, whose information is outdated or nonexistent.
Efforts to address this situation are ongoing. A recent joint statement by the Interinstitutional Roundtable to Oversee the COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy,75 the Office of the Inspector General, the Comptroller General of the Republic, and the Ombudsman’s Office called for immediate actions to solve this problem, and pointed to other issues limiting the effectiveness of the vaccination campaign, including shortages of equipment to meet cold chain requirements, vaccine wastage, inadequate prioritization guidelines and booster shoots scheduling, and the use of unofficial tools such as Google or WhatsApp for reporting PNV- related information. The GoC is making some progress in addressing these challenges and increasing the effectiveness and speed of its vaccination campaign. In fact, the number of new cases in RGA target municipalities decreased from 156,002 in February to 51,372 in March and 48,707 in April. However, daily cases increased between March and April, which raised the alarm about a potential third contagion wave. Table A1.1 shows COVID-19 case evolution in RGA target areas since January 2021.
74 El Tiempo, “Colombia es el tercer país con menor tasa de vacunación en Latinoamérica,” El Tiempo, February 26, 2021, https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/colombia-es-el-tercer-pais-con-menor-tasa-de-vacunacion-en-latinoamerica/202116/. 75 Office of the Inspector General, “Denuncias sobre el Plan Nacional de Vacunación tendrán una respuesta inicial en un tiempo menor a 48 horas anunció la Procuradora General, Margarita Cabello,” (Office of the Inspector General, February 25, 2021). https://www. procuraduria.gov.co/portal/Procuraduria-respuestas-Plan-Nacional-Vacunacion.news.
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TABLE A1.1: CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES IN RGA TARGET AREAS
MUNICIPALITY JAN. 4, 2021 FEB. 2, 2021 MAR. 1, 2021 APR. 1, 2021
Bogotá 485,017 616,843 658,698 687,382
Arauca 2,448 2,890 3,017 3,113
Arauquita 474 487 499 517
Riohacha 5,680 6,260 6,487 7,332
Maicao 2,985 3,315 3,422 3,901
Uribia 451 482 494 547
Cúcuta 28,271 33,300 34,670 34,942
Los Patios 2,970 3,376 3,532 4,029
Puerto Santander 151 169 178 194
Tibú 769 849 886 898
Villa del Rosario 2,736 3,111 3,261 3,314
Soledad 18,338 21,762 23,265 28,679
Cartagena 44,544 54,092 56,684 58,981
Santa Marta 17,410 21,048 23,351 31,134
Ciénaga 1,839 2,101 3,013 5,201
In this context, the GoC adopted temporary legislation for the protection of Venezuelan migrants. The international community and human rights organizations called this an “historic decision” because they see the granting of protective status as a key step in addressing the migrant crisis in the region and mitigating the effects of the protracted economic and political turmoil in Venezuela. According to Migración Colombia, as of January 31, 2021, 1.74 million Venezuelans were living in Colombia, but only 759,584 had their status regularized (see Table A1.2, which shows the migrant population in RGA target areas). This significant influx of undocumented migrants leaves thousands of Venezuelans without regular access to basic services and under the impending threat of deportation. The temporary legislation takes important steps in addressing this crisis and laying the groundwork for a targeted social policy, but it is fraught with challenges of its own. The legislation stipulates that undocumented migrants will be able to apply for regularization only if they demonstrate that they were in Colombia as of January 31, 2021. However, it does not specify which documents or proofs the migration authorities will accept, nor does it say what approach will be adopted to treat undocumented migrants arriving in the country after the stipulated date. This can cause additional difficulties, considering that extended border closures and the GoC’s decision to create an elite force to control drug trafficking and combat illegal armed groups in
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border municipalities may increase the use of unofficial crossings and expose migrants to violence and human rights abuses.76
TABLE A1.2: VENEZUELAN MIGRATION IN RGA TARGET AREAS
MUNICIPAL PERCENTAGE OF TARGET MUNICIPALITY MIGRANT POPULATION78 POPULATION77 MIGRANT POPULATION
Bogotá 7,743,955 340,711 4.40
Arauca 96,814 22,113 22.84
Arauquita 56,209 5,783 10.29
Riohacha 201,839 47,172 23.37
Maicao 185,072 51,361 27.75
Uribia 190,084 9,196 4.84
Cúcuta 777,106 94,847 12.21
Los Patios 97,220 7,262 7.47
Puerto Santander 9,262 2,186 23.60
Tibú 58,721 8,725 14.86
Villa del Rosario 111,254 36,512 32.82
Soledad 665,021 30,119 4.53
Cartagena 1,028,736 51,589 5.01
Santa Marta 538,612 41,693 7.74
Ciénaga 124,339 13,791 11.09
Average Percentage of Migrant Population 14.19
Meanwhile, security conditions continued to deteriorate, particularly in border departments and municipalities, where guerillas and organized armed groups are competing over control of drug trafficking routes and natural resources. According to the Colombian Institute for Development and Peace, 23 massacres occurred in the country between January and March, claiming the lives of 84 people (including 40 social leaders and 13 former FARC-EP combatants).79 In RGA target departments, homicide rates increased by 10 percent compared with the first quarter of 2020, with 148 cases reported in Atlántico,
76 In February, the GoC announced the creation of the Specialized Unit Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats, a 7,000-strong elite force to combat illegal armed groups who, according to President Iván Duque, are conducting drug trafficking, illicit mining, and other illegal activities across borders. 77 Data obtained from the DNP’s website TerriData, as of March 31, 2021. Source: https://bit. ly/2IlB9GL. 78 Data obtained from Migración Colombia, as of January 1, 2021. Source: shorturl. at/rzHRW. 79 Colombian Institute for Development and Peace, “Informe de masacres en Colombia durante el 2020–2021” (Colombian Institute for Development and Peace, March 31, 2021). https://bit. ly/3bBVfcx; and “Líderes sociales, defensores de derechos humanos y firmantes del acuerdo asesinados en 2021,” shorturl. at/alwN3.
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111 in Norte de Santander, and 106 in Bolívar. Moreover, during the first quarter, the Conflict Analysis Resource Center identified a 78 percent increase in casualties resulting from increased activity by the National Liberation Army (ELN).80, 81 This surge of violent actions by ELN has been particularly dire in RGA target departments such as Norte de Santander, where the guerrilla group is facing a newly formed alliance between Los Rastrojos and Los Urabeños, groups who allegedly are challenging ELN’s command of illegal economies along the border with Venezuela. 82, 83 This led to denunciations by state agencies, human rights advocacy groups, and think tanks about an imminent return of indiscriminate civilian massacres, forced displacements, extortions, and kidnappings in the region. In response, the Ombudsman’s Office in Norte de Santander called for immediate actions by state forces to combat insecurity and human rights violations. Likewise, the Ombudsman’s Office in Arauca issued an early warning that at least 15,000 people were at a high risk because of the intensification of armed violence by ELN and FARC-EP dissident groups.84 In Arauca, the situation escalated even further because of confrontations between the Venezuelan Army and Colombian illegal armed groups (presumably FARC-EP dissidents) in the Venezuelan state of Apure. As a result of these confrontations, approximately 5,000 migrants fled to the municipality of Arauquita seeking refuge, nearly doubling the number of migrants currently living in the municipality.85 This led the GoC and the local administration to adopt emergency measures and request international aid to address the humanitarian crisis.
80 ELN is a left-leaning guerrilla group considered the largest active guerrilla force in country after the signing of the 2016 Peace Accords between the GoC and FARC-EP guerrilla. Although most FARC-EP guerrilla members demobilized after the peace accords, certain factions remained raised in arms, known today as FARC-EP dissidents. 81 Conflict Analysis Resource Center (CERAC), “Reporte del conflicto con el ELN” (Conflict Analysis Resource Center, March 20, 2021). https://www. blog. cerac. org. co/2021/03. 82 Los Rastrojos and Los Urabeños are illegal armed groups formed by former members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia), a right-wing paramilitary group that demobilized between 2003 and 2006. 83 Juan Diego Posada, “New Criminal Alliance Fending Off ELN at Colombia-Venezuela Border,” InSight Crime, January 19, 2021, https://insightcrime. org/news/brief/new-criminal-alliance-eln-venezuela/. 84 Radio Nacional de Colombia, “15 mil personas estarían en riesgo en Arauca por grupos armados: Defensoría,” Radio Nacional de Colombia, March 12, 2021, https://www. radionacional. co/noticia/regiones/al-menos-15-mil-personas-riesgo-arauca-defensoria- del-pueblo. 85 Daniel Pacheco, “En Apure se da la primera rebelión de una disidencia contra el chavismo,” La Silla Vacía, March 24, 2021, https://lasillavacia. com/apure-se-da-primera-rebelion-disidencia-contra-chavismo-80668.
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ANNEX 2: RGA INFOGRAPHICS TO PROMOTE ACCESS TO GOC SOCIAL PROGRAMS
DIGITAL CITIZENS PROGRAM (MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY)
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PROGRAM FOR WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS (MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY)
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PROGRAM FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVE ALIANCES (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE)
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ANNEX 3: RESOURCES MOBILIZED THROUGH RGA-SUPPORTED PUBLIC INVESTMENT PROJECTS
TABLE A3.1: PROJECTS AND AMOUNT BY MUNICIPALITY
PROJECT MUNICIPALITY PROJECT TITLE AMOUNT (US$)
Arauca (Arauca) Project to update preliminary studies to build an $23,484 animal center
Arauquita (Arauca) Project to execute Collective Interventions Plan $119,928 actions
Arauquita (Arauca) Project to provide sport supplies to rural public $12,090 schools
Arauquita (Arauca) Project to expand the water treatment plant and $2,963,234 water tank of the municipal aqueduct system
Arauquita (Arauca) Project to strengthen the management of the 2021 $17,931 municipal public health plan
Arauquita (Arauca) Project to improve the infrastructure of local public $99,553 schools
Arauquita (Arauca) Project to provide personal protective equipment to $15,147 municipal administration staff within the context of the pandemic to prevent and control COVID-19
Soledad (Atlántico) Project to buy biosecurity supplies to prevent and $55,252 mitigate COVID-19 in local public schools
Soledad (Atlántico) Project to provide security services to local public $2,880,421 schools
Soledad (Atlántico) Project to improve the infrastructure of a local public $88,289 school
Maicao (La Guajira) Project to implement the Crime Does Not Pay $16,727 program aimed at youth to have a positive impact on municipal security and coexistence
Maicao (La Guajira) Project to train women participating in a national $13,030 program for families to strengthen their knowledge on accessing health and education services
Ciénaga (Magdalena) Project to provide logistics and operation support to $75,875 conduct the activities of the Municipal Office for Women and Gender Affairs
Ciénaga (Magdalena) Project to support the local 2021 culture festival to $128,611 preserve and share the cultural, artistic, traditional, and folkloric heritage of the municipality
Tibú (Norte de Project to improve the infrastructure of local public $229,986 Santander) schools
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ANNEX 4: RGA GRANTS AND SUBCONTRACTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2021
[Redacted]
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ANNEX 5: PROGRESS ASSESSMENT
As presented in the Progress Assessment section, in September 2020, USAID approved additional changes to RGA’s Performance Management Plan (PMP) with the goal of monitoring the impact of Component 7. This plan was adjusted to reflect new FY 2020 and FY 2021 and LOP targets for four RGA indicators (RGA-02, RGA-07, RGA-08, and RGA-15) and included four new indicators: RGA-18, RGA-19, RGA-20, and RGA-21. In addition, in March 2021, USAID approved adjustments to FY 2021 and LOP goals for four indicators (RGA-07, RGA-015, RGA-018, and RGA-020) to reflect progress on newly included program activities and specifically those under its strategy to address migration in Bogotá. The following describes RGA’S progress on its indicators for the second quarter of 2021.
RGA-07: Number of CSOs receiving U.S. Government assistance engaged in advocacy interventions. During this quarter, RGA helped 17 CSOs in Arauca, La Guajira, Norte de Santander, and Bogotá by strengthening their capacities to participate and advocate for improved institutional responses to COVID-19 and the needs of migrant, returnee, and host populations. This quarter, with the 17 supported CSOs, RGA reached 90 percent of the adjusted FY 2021 annual target (established at 31) and reached an accrued LOP of 460 CSOs strengthened versus an adjusted LOP target of 258, reaching 178 percent. This indicator met and exceeded its PMP goals in FY 2016 and FY 2017, but RGA met its goals for fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The 17 CSOs supported were (1) one citizen oversight group in Uribia, La Guajira, to monitor the use of resources in health care provision and prevention for LGBTQ, migrant, and returnee communities; (2) 13 women’s and youth CSOs to execute projects and initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and community management to mitigate xenophobia and respond to COVID-19 in Norte de Santander and La Guajira; (3) the CSO [redacted] in Bogotá to engage women’s CSOs in implementing affirmative actions with a differential approach that strengthen the capacities of migrant women and host communities to reduce social tensions and gender stereotypes; and (4) two women’s CSOs in the municipalities of Los Patios and Tibú, which participated in COMPOS sessions to advocate for their priorities and those of vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ individuals.
RGA-08: Number of committees for oversight activities, conducted by citizens, organized and supported as a result of RGA assistance. This quarter, RGA implemented the HCC methodology and helped form one citizen oversight group to monitor the execution of public resources associated with COVID-19 and the Venezuelan migrant crisis in Uribia, La Guajira. This quarter, the indicator reached 100 percent of FY 2021 annual target, established at six. This indicator has an accrued LOP of 262 versus a target of 210, achieving 125 percent. In fiscal years 2016 and 2017, this indicator was exceeded substantially, but RGA met its goals for fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
RGA-10: Value of Third-Party Mobilized Funds (Ym) and RGA-11 Value of USAID investments linked to Mobilized Funds (Xm). This quarter, RGA mobilized Colombian pesos (COP) $30.245 million (approximately $9.1 million) versus a USAID investment of COP $123.4 million (approximately $37,409). RGA has mobilized COP $1.2 trillion throughout its LOP. Resources were mobilized based on RGA’s support to SNGs to formulate projects and accompany project evaluation and approval processes to access private and public resources from the SGR, System of National Transfers, and municipal and departmental resources. These also included RGA’s support to the municipality of
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Arauca in undertaking procedural requirements to access FONPET drawdowns.86 As a result of this assistance, the municipality received more than COP $8,145 million ($2.4 million) to finance public investment projects. As a result of RGA’s support for tax reforms, SNGs also received $118 million in new income since 2017.
RGA-15: Number of projects, proposals, and/or concepts by CSOs, especially those that include the participation of women and benefit citizens. RGA provides assistance to support the effective participation of CSOs in public management and their contribution to the development of their municipality and/or region. This quarter, CSOs put nine proposals forward, reaching 74 percent of the adjusted FY 2021 annual goal, established at 19. This indicator has an accrued LOP of 66 versus an adjusted target of 71, achieving 93 percent. Under Component 7, RGA implemented a strategy to strengthen CSO capacities to advocate for and have an impact on improving COVID-19 responses and access to services for migrant, returnee, and host populations. The nine proposals include actions taken by the [redacted] in Puerto de Santander (Norte de Santander) to monitor the PDM regarding actions aimed at supporting women’s economic inclusion and reducing risks facing migrants. Likewise, through its advocacy before municipal institutions in Puerto Santander, the [redacted] achieved the relocation of the Family Protection Office, thus improving service access for women affected by GBV. In Los Patios (Norte de Santander), women’s CSOs advocated before COMPOS to reduce the cost of health care services for children and adolescents, including growth and development, dental care, and vaccination certificates. In Maicao and Uribia (La Guajira), the organizations that represent women, including migrants, advocated for their participation in public decision-making processes related to projects aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and economic reactivation and the prioritization of women (including migrants) in GBV prevention mechanisms. Moreover, the citizen oversight groups of Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca), Maicao (La Guajira), and Tibú (Norte de Santander) monitored and proposed recommendations to improve prevention and care of GBV, domestic abuse, and mental health issues, and to implement public health care actions aimed at COVID-19 prevention in the areas of mental health and self-care.
RGA-018: Number of public officials trained with U.S. Government assistance. During this quarter, RGA trained 215 public officials in its target areas to develop their skills and knowledge in COVID- 19 prevention, containment, and recovery. RGA’s assistance also focused on strengthening public officials’ capacity to improve health and education service provision and to generate migrant advocacy for service provision during the pandemic. The program provided technical assistance to train public officials and develop their skills in matters such as planning and financial instruments, sector-specific instruments, epidemiological surveillance, local health care authority roles, PRASS strategy, PNV, investment planning and prioritization in education, access to resources through project formulation, public procurement and accountability processes, tax management, local government transparency, economic reactivation, social program implementation, GBV responses, gender mainstreaming, COMPOS responsibilities, HCC methodology, communication strategies to disseminate public information, and training for teachers and managers to improve their technological skills for online teaching. The 215 public officials that RGA trained this quarter help fulfill the adjusted FY 2021 target of 445 public officials trained with U.S. Government
86 FONPET, managed by the Ministry of Finance, collects, manages, and allocates resources deposited by local administrations to pay public officials’ pensions. Not all municipalities can access FONPET resources; funds are available only to those municipalities that have saved more than 125 percent of the money destined for public officials’ pensions. USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY–MARCH 2021 | 51
assistance, meaning RGA has reached 100 percent of its target. This indicator has an accrued LOP of 495 versus an adjusted target of 495, achieving 100 percent overall.
RGA-19: Number of RGA-supported public investment projects approved to access public and private funds. This indicator measures the amount of public and private projects successfully accepted for funding with SGR resources for COVID-19 services, OCAD PAZ, and other funds (public and private) as a result of RGA support to address COVID-19. RGA works to increase national-level government and private sector resources invested in the COVID-19 response by supporting municipal administrations in building their capacities to design and manage projects. During this quarter, 16 RGA- supported projects were approved to access public resources for more than $6.6 million, including one project to be financed using SGR resources in the municipality of Arauquita and one project to be financed using resources from GoC’s FOME in Soledad (Atlántico).87 The 16 public investment projects approved this quarter help fulfill the FY 2021 target of 28 projects approved, meaning RGA reached 111 percent of its target. This indicator has an LOP of 36 projects versus an established target of 33, achieving 109 percent overall. This increase in the number of approved projects stems from the need to mobilize funds from sources such as FOME, the System of National Transfers, and internal funds, considering the restrictions in accessing SGR resources resulting from recent GoC modifications to the SGR system.88 The approval of SGR-funded projects will be resumed once the required updates to PDMs take place (expected to occur in the second half of 2021).
RGA-20: Number of journalists trained and supported as a result of RGA’s assistance. This indicator measures the number of journalists and members of communication groups trained in municipal responsibilities to analyze and report on public information regarding COVID-19 public investments to increase transparency, oversight, and control of GoC funding and programs. During this quarter, RGA trained and supported 54 journalists and communication group members in Arauca, La Guajira, Norte de Santander, Cartagena, Soledad, Santa Marta, and Ciénaga,89 who participated in RGA’s training cycles to promote government transparency during COVID-19. Likewise, RGA is supporting 10 communication initiatives resulting from the five training cycles developed in Norte de Santander, Arauca, La Guajira, and Cartagena. These initiatives are strengthening the capacities of local communities on topics such as the public information access and transparency law, public accountability, and citizen oversight. The 54 journalists and communication group members trained and supported this quarter represent 102 percent of the adjusted FY 2021 target of 140 journalists and communication group members trained and supported.90 This indicator has an LOP of 160 versus an adjusted target of of 160, achieving 100 percent.
RGA-21: Number of municipalities that implement programs in response to COVID-19 as a result of RGA’s assistance. RGA supported 12 target municipalities this quarter in implementing
87 See Annex 3 for details on approved projects. 88 At the end of 2020, the GoC issued new regulations for SGR transfers, which establish that municipalities may approve SGR funding on their own if the projects to be funded have been prioritized through participatory processes with civil society and are included in a specific chapter of PDMs. 89 This number does not include public officials trained during RGA cycles. 90 After the approval of its revised work plan, the program achieved 102 percent progress on its new FY 2021 target for this indicator. This is equivalent to 143 journalists and communication group members trained, considering that the program achieved only 85 percent of this indicator’s goal in FY 2020. USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY–MARCH 2021 | 52
programs to respond to community needs arising from COVID-19.91 This new indicator has an LOP of 12 versus a target of 12, achieving 100 percent. Nevertheless, RGA will continue reporting data on this indicator in upcoming quarters to reflect program work under four lines of work: (1) improving education service provision, (2) supporting GoC strategies to respond to COVID-19, (3) building local government capacity in epidemiological surveillance and health care leadership, and (4) assistance to promote economic reactivation. Highlights from this quarter under this indicator include the following:
• RGA provided support to the GoC in the local implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination plan by assisting its target municipalities in identifying rollout bottlenecks, drafting local vaccination plans, and hosting training sessions to disseminate PNV guidelines. RGA also awarded two subcontracts aimed at hiring expert liaisons who are supporting target municipalities in the implementation of the PRASS strategy.
• The program promoted students’ safe return to the classroom in 2021 by supporting public officials and school communities in biosecurity protocol design and assisting the prioritization of education investments to better respond to the specific needs of public schools during the pandemic. RGA also coordinated efforts with the private and public sectors to train teachers in online and remote education methodologies, enabling them to strengthen education service provision during the pandemic.
• RGA partnered with GoC institutions, regional commissions for competitiveness, chambers of commerce, and departmental and municipal governments to promote policy dialogues aimed at fostering local economic reactivation. For example, in Norte de Santander, RGA hosted an event to encourage the adoption of Colombia’s public acquisitions law, which promotes the participation of small-scale producers in the public acquisition of local goods. The program is replicating similar policy dialogues in Riohacha, Cartagena, Arauca, and Santa Marta. RGA also fostered the municipal adoption of GoC incentives for economic reactivation. The program also developed a cross-cutting strategy to assist municipalities in carrying out participatory processes for implementing new SGR regulations.
91 The 12 municipalities are Arauca and Arauquita (Arauca), Soledad (Atlántico), Maicao, Riohacha, and Uribia (La Guajira), Ciénaga (Magdalena), and Cúcuta, Los Patios, Puerto Santander, Tibú, and Villa del Rosario (Norte de Santander). USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY–MARCH 2021 | 53
ANNEX 6: COORDINATION WITH IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL AID PROGRAMS
TABLE A6.1: MEETINGS WITH IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND INTERNATIONAL AID PROGRAMS DATE LOCATION MEETING MATTER DISCUSSED
January 20, 2021 Arauca Migratory Health Management Roundtable RGA shared with the committee the results of its strategy to contain the effects of COVID-19 in the Online meeting department and reaffirmed its commitment to support migrant health care enrollment in the municipality. International donors presented their work plans for 2021.
January 26, February 2 Arauca Central Command Unit meeting to follow up on Participants discussed the latest statistics regarding and 9, and March 16, 2021 COVID-19 COVID-19 cases and contagion spread. Departmental Online meeting Health Authorities informed RGA and international donors of the municipalities most at risk and with the highest occupancy rate of intensive care unit beds.
January 29, 2021 La Guajira Municipal Health Care Roundtable The Departmental Health Secretariat shared its analysis of Venezuelan migrant’s health care situation. This Online meeting included morbimortality figures within the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care enrollment, hospital occupation, and their enrollment to the PNV.
February 18, 2021 Magdalena GIFMM Children Roundtable to design an Participants agreed to include topics relating to interinstitutional work plan for 2021 education in emergencies in Santa Marta, Cartagena, Online meeting Ciénaga, and Soledad, within the work plan’s framework.
February 24, 2021 Arauca Departmental roundtable on sexual and reproductive International donor and local authorities began designing health an interagency response plan on sexual and reproductive Online Meeting health for the migrant population, including GBV victims.
March 4, 2021 Arauca GIFMM meeting to discuss the Temporary Legislation RGA shared with the committee its strategy to train for the Protection of Venezuelan Migrants teachers, guidance counselors, and students in Arauca Online Meeting on biosecurity guidelines and technology skills for online teaching. The program also presents its strategy for the implementation of hybrid education models.
March 18, 2021 La Guajira Education in Emergencies Roundtable RGA shared with the committee its strategy to provide guidance to education authorities and public schools to help them identify actions that can guarantee a safe return to the classroom for students and teachers. The program shared how it supported municipal USAID.GOV QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY–MARCH 2021 | 54
administrations in its 14 target municipalities in creating standing committees for the implementation of hybrid education models. UNICEF presented the effects of opening or closing schools in other countries and summarized Colombian regulations on the subject.
March 25, 2021 Norte de Meeting with World Vision to discuss biosecurity RGA shared with World Vision its strategy to design and Santander protocols within hybrid education models implement school biosecurity protocols, a key step to implement local hybrid education model plans in the Online meeting municipality.
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